Peter Hansen, a mountaineering expert and professor in the Department of Humanities and Arts, provided analysis for a HISTORY.com article on the legacy of a 14th century mountain hike by Petrarch. In the article, Hansen describes how, centuries later, the Italian poet’s writings about the climb began to attract attention. Hansen further explores the impact of Petrarch’s hike in his book, “The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment.”

Peter Hansen, a mountaineering expert and professor of history and director of International and Global Studies at WPI, spoke to the BBC’s The Forum podcast about the history of mountain climbing dating back to the 1300s. Hansen, author of several books on mountaineering, including “The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment,” gave important insight into the role climbing has played in society’s ever-changing relationship with nature.