The Ascent of Mount Ventoux

Francesco Petrarca

Sinossi

Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), better known in English as Francis Petrarch, was a Tuscan scholar, poet and initiate of the early Italian Renaissance and one of the fathers of Humanism. His rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited with initiating the 14th-century Italian Renaissance and the founding of Renaissance humanism. In the 16th century, Pietro Bembo created the model for the modern Italian language based on Petrarca's works, as well as those of Giovanni Boccaccio, and, to a lesser extent, Dante Alighieri.Petrarca's sonnets were admired and imitated throughout Europe during the Renaissance and became a model for lyrical poetry. He is also known for being the first to develop the concept of the "Dark Ages".He traveled extensively in Europe, served as an ambassador and was called "the first tourist" because he used to travel for pleasure and for historical and cultural interest, as in the case of his famous ascent to Mont Ventoux in Provence.Petrarca wrote about his ascent of Mont Ventoux (a high mountain in Provence, France) on April 26, 1336, in a well-known letter published as one of his Epistolae Familiares. In this letter, written around 1350, Petrarca claimed to be the first person since antiquity to have climbed a mountain for the view. Although the historical accuracy of his account has been questioned by modern scholars, it is often cited in discussions of the new spirit of the Renaissance.

Disponibile da: 26/02/2025.

Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

The Golem

Gustav Meyrink

"The Golem" by Gustav Meyrink is a mesmerizing novel that blends Gothic elements with mysticism, set in the mysterious backdrop of Prague's Jewish ghetto at the beginning of the 20th century. 
The main protagonist, Athanasius Pernath, a gem engraver, receives a mysterious book for restoration one day. This event becomes the catalyst for a series of extraordinary occurrences that force him to confront his own demons and the enigma of his identity. As the story unfolds, reality intertwines with dreams, present with past, and mystical Jewish legends become entangled with the dark reality of Prague's ghetto. 
At the heart of the narrative lies the legend of the Golem - an artificial man created from clay by a medieval rabbi, who according to urban legends returns to Prague's streets every 33 years. However, in Meyrink's novel, the Golem becomes more than just a folkloric figure - it transforms into a symbol of the deeply rooted fears and desires of the ghetto's inhabitants.

Mostra libro

Walden

Henry David Thoreau

Originally published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, is a vivid account of the time that Henry D. Thoreau lived alone in a secluded cabin at Walden Pond. It is one of the most influential and compelling books in American literature. This new paperback edition-introduced by noted American writer John Updike-celebrates the 150th anniversary of this classic work. Much of Walden's material is derived from Thoreau's journals and contains such engaging pieces as "Reading" and "The Pond in the Winter" Other famous sections involve Thoreau's visits with a Canadian woodcutter and with an Irish family, a trip to Concord, and a description of his bean field. This is the complete and authoritative text of Walden-as close to Thoreau's original intention as all available evidence allows. For the student and for the general reader, this is the ideal presentation of Thoreau's great document of social criticism and dissent.

Mostra libro

10 Masterpieces You Have to Read...

Edgar Allan Poe, William...

This book contains the following works:1. Edgar Allan Poe: The Gold Bug2. William Shakespeare: Romeo And Juliet3. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: Faust4. Mark Twain: Adventures of Tom Sawyer5. Leo Tolstoy: The Death of Ivan Ilyich (Translator: Constance Garnett)6. Arthur Conan Doyle: The Lost World7. Henry James: The Turn of the Screw8. Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince (Translator: Marina Zhigalova)9. Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray10. Kate Chopin: The Awakening

Mostra libro

Death In Venice

Thomas Mann

"The experience of death is bound up with the experience of beauty."

First published in 1912, Thomas Mann's Death in Venice is a masterful meditation on art, desire, and the fatal allure of beauty.

Gustav von Aschenbach, an ageing but successful writer renowned for the solemn dignity and asceticism of his work, travels to Venice seeking artistic inspiration – the first indulgence the fastidiously restrained author has allowed himself. Through the languid Venetian atmosphere and the peacefully rocking gondolas, Aschenbach is lured away from his rigid self-discipline as he falls into a deep and obsessive love with a beautiful young Polish boy named Tadzio, even though they never meet.

As his infatuation deepens and the city wilts under the shadow of disease, Aschenbach's pursuit of the unattainable leads him into a tragic spiral of longing and loss.
Thomas Mann (1875–1955) was a renowned German novelist, short story writer, and essayist, celebrated for his exploration of complex themes, his profound psychological insight, and critique of bourgeois society.

Born into a wealthy trading family, he studied law and economics before turning to writing and had his major breakthrough with Buddenbrooks, which depicts the decline of a bourgeois family. International acclaim came with the publication of The Magic Mountain (1924), a philosophical novel set in a sanatorium that explores themes such as life, death, time and ideological conflict. His other notable works include Death in Venice (1912) and Doktor Faustus (1947). In 1929, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in recognition of his significant contributions to German literature.

Mann was politically active against fascism, leading him to leave Germany in 1933 due to the rise of the Nazi regime. He lived in Switzerland and later in the United States during World War II. Despite the challenges, he continued to write and became a prominent voice against totalitarianism.

Mostra libro

Northanger Abbey - Full Cast Drama

Jane Austen

Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey" stands as a unique gem among her body of work. Published posthumously in 1817, the novel offers a delightful departure from Austen's more conventional romantic tales, instead serving as a sharp satire of the gothic novel genre that was popular in her time.

The story revolves around Catherine Morland, an earnest and imaginative young woman who is introduced to the world of society and courtship during her stay in Bath, England. As Catherine embarks on her own romantic adventures, Austen uses her character to playfully deconstruct the conventions of gothic literature, which was characterized by eerie castles, mysterious secrets, and dark, brooding heroes.
Through Catherine's vivid imagination and penchant for reading gothic novels, Austen takes the opportunity to mock the sensationalism and melodrama of the genre. Catherine's expectations of intrigue and danger are repeatedly thwarted by the mundane realities of everyday life. Her tendency to view her surroundings through the lens of her favorite novels leads to humorous misunderstandings and serves as a commentary on the dangers of allowing fiction to overly influence one's perception of reality.

Austen employs irony and humor throughout "Northanger Abbey" to highlight the contrast between Catherine's fanciful expectations and the ordinary events she encounters. The novel's satirical tone gently pokes fun at the excesses and absurdities of gothic literature while simultaneously celebrating the power of imagination and the importance of distinguishing between fiction and reality.

Mostra libro

Irish Problem An - From their...

Somerville & Ross - the writing...

The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them are Somerville & Ross - the writing pseudonym for Edith Somerville & Violet Florence Martin Sidney Benson Thorp.

Mostra libro