Ser Petracco (born Pietro di Parenzo di Garzo; 1267–1326) was the father to the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca. His father was Ser Parenzo, son of Ser Garzo who reputedly lived to be 100. They all were notaries, the same office that Ser Petracco held in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. The family did have a small property in

. His wife’s name was Eletta Canigiani (1270–1319), the mother to Petrarch, whom he married around 1302. Petrarch’s granddaughter was named after her. Arezzo-Casa di Francesco Petrarca

Ser Petracco was a merchant and also worked for the State. Before he was 35 years old he had already held many high public positions. He was "Chancellor of the Commission for the Reforms" as well as a delegate of an important embassy to

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

in 1301. At the end of 1302 of his political career he was falsely charged of legal matters in his absence. The sentence was a fine of 1000

Lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current Turkish lira, currency of Turkey and also the local name of the Lebanese pound, currencies of Lebanon and of Syrian pound, Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, ...

or the loss of his right hand. He refused to pay the fine and his property was taken from him. He belonged to the political party of the White Guelphs along with the famous poet

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

, being its most illustrious member. They both were then exiled from Florence by the opposing party, the Black Guelphs. Francesco Petrarch was an " Aretine" by these mere circumstances - as he always thought of himself really as a Florentine. The family, along with Dante and others that were exiled to

Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...

, found no welcome there. Ser Petracco had to seek employment elsewhere, however his wife and baby Francesco were permitted to go to their little family house they owned in Incisa with relatives. A family story goes that Francesco was about seven months old when he and his mother moved back to Incisa. Baby Francesco was being transported in a sling arrangement carried over a servant's shoulder. The servant was mounted on a horse. When they crossed through the flooded Arno river the horse slipped and fell. Francesco and the servant went headlong into the water. With much determination and inner strength the servant saved Francesco. Ser Petracco periodically visited the family in Incisa from his out of town employment. In 1307 Francesco’s brother Gherardo was born. A daughter named Selvaggia was born to the couple. About 1310 they were all reunited for a year in Pisa. Around 1311 Ser Petracco got employment in

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whither the papal household had moved from

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. Then in 1312 the boys and his wife moved to Carpentras, where they lived happily for the next four years. Ser Petracco lived in Avignon most of this time because of his employment there in the profession of law. In 1316 he then sent Petrarch and his brother to study law at the University of Montpellier. After his first wife's death he married Niccolosa Sigoli whose father Vanni was member of the White Guelphs and was elected ''priore'' of Florence in 1301. His daughter Selvaggia married Giovanni di Tano da Semifonte in 1324. He died two years later in Avignon.

Gallery

Image:Arezzo-Casa di Francesco Petrarca-cortile.JPG, Courtyard of the house of Ser Petracco

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Petracco, Ser Italian businesspeople 1267 births 1326 deaths Petrarch 14th-century Italian jurists