The 14th century Italian poet Francesco Petrarch left hundreds of letters detailing his life and thoughts. Now scientists plan to dig up his remains to find out more about his flesh and bones.

This year marks the seventh centenary of Petrarch’s birth, on July 20, 1304, in the town of Arezzo.The son of an exile—his father Petracco was of Dante’s generation and exiled from Florence in the ...

The Poetry of Petrarch Francesco Petrarca. Farrar Straus Giroux, $30 (277pp) ISBN 978-0-374-23532-1.

Italian scientists have disappointed generations of love poets - and uncovered what could be a crime mystery dating back hundreds of years. Tests have shown that the head of one of Italy's most-highly ...

ROME: The 14th century Italian poet Francesco Petrarch left hundreds of letters detailing his life and thoughts. Now scientists plan to dig up his remains to find out more about his flesh and bones.