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Podcast: Today In History with The Retrospectors
Episode: The First Mountaineer
Description: The Italian poet Petrarch hiked up Mont Ventoux in Provence on 26th April, 1332 - an event claimed for centuries to be the first time mountaineering for pleasure had been attempted. His celebrated letter to Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro was the source, revealing Petrarch's contemplations on spirituality and the human condition amidst the breathtaking views. However, debate persists over the letter's authenticity and whether Petrarch's climb was literal or allegorical.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how, centuries later, Romantic poets revived Petrarch's tale, interpreting his ascent as a metaphor for s...