A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) of Arezzo were the first to be crowned poets laureate after the classical age, respectively in 1315 and 1342. In Britain, the term dates from the appointment of Bernard André by Henry VII of England. The royal office of Poet Laureate in England dates from the appointment of John Dryden in 1668.
A depiction of Torquato Tasso from a German encyclopedia, 1905. Note the laurel crown.
Toronto's Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke who later became Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada
Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin of Ethiopia
Mohammad-Taqi Bahar poet laureate of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar.
Padua is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, 40 kilometres west of Venice and 29 km southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 214,000. It is also the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE) which has a population of around 2,600,000.
The Botanical Garden of Padova today; in the background, the Basilica of Sant'Antonio
Image: Prato della Valle
Image: Abbazia di Santa Giustina
Image: Torre dell'Orologio Padova
