Guido Bonatti
Encyclopedia
Guido Bonatti was an Italian
astronomer
and astrologer
from Forlì
. He was the most celebrated astrologer in Europe
in his century.
with the friar Giovanni Schio from Vicenza
, who maintained the non-scientificity of astrology.
He was advisor of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
, Ezzelino da Romano III, Guido Novello da Polenta and Guido I da Montefeltro. He served also the communal governments of Florence
, Siena
and Forlì
. His book Liber Astronomiae, written around 1277, was reputed "the most important astrological work produced in Latin in the 13th century".
He also appears in Dante
's Divine Comedy, where he is in hell
as punishment for his astrology.
There is a tradition that Bonatti, towards the end of his life, took the friar's habit of the Franciscan Order. This has been contested as Bonati, expressed great disdain for Franciscans in his early period. However, the Franciscan Order, in its annual publication, Franciscan Studies, lay claim to Fra Guido Bonati. The 1924 inaugural issue of Franciscan Studies captioned its monologue as "Science in the Franciscan Order: a historical sketch" by John M. Lenhart, O.F.M. Cap. Lenhart states the following:
The celebrated physicist, astronomer and astrologer, Guido Bonatti (d. 1296), a Friar Minor, drew scholars to his professional chair from all parts of Europe. He wrote 'Theoria Planetarum' (printed at Venice, 1506) and 'Liber Astronomicus'.
Lenhart's source is the celebrated 17th century Franciscan historian Father Luke Wadding
OFM (1588–1657). Wadding authored his prestigious Annales Minorum detailing the history of the Franciscans from its founding in the 13th century to his day. Wadding had access to the archives of all the Franciscan fraternities of Europe including the mandated necrologies listing deceased members for whom prayers are said annually, even to this day, on the feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi celebrating his death. Fra Guido is recorded as having belonged to the Franciscan fraternity in Bologna.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
astronomer
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and astrologer
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
from Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
. He was the most celebrated astrologer in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in his century.
Biography
His dates of birth and death are unknown, the latter probably occurring between 1296 and 1300. In 1233 he is known as the winner of a dispute in BolognaBologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
with the friar Giovanni Schio from Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, who maintained the non-scientificity of astrology.
He was advisor of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, Ezzelino da Romano III, Guido Novello da Polenta and Guido I da Montefeltro. He served also the communal governments of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
and Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
. His book Liber Astronomiae, written around 1277, was reputed "the most important astrological work produced in Latin in the 13th century".
He also appears in Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
's Divine Comedy, where he is in hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
as punishment for his astrology.
There is a tradition that Bonatti, towards the end of his life, took the friar's habit of the Franciscan Order. This has been contested as Bonati, expressed great disdain for Franciscans in his early period. However, the Franciscan Order, in its annual publication, Franciscan Studies, lay claim to Fra Guido Bonati. The 1924 inaugural issue of Franciscan Studies captioned its monologue as "Science in the Franciscan Order: a historical sketch" by John M. Lenhart, O.F.M. Cap. Lenhart states the following:
The celebrated physicist, astronomer and astrologer, Guido Bonatti (d. 1296), a Friar Minor, drew scholars to his professional chair from all parts of Europe. He wrote 'Theoria Planetarum' (printed at Venice, 1506) and 'Liber Astronomicus'.
Lenhart's source is the celebrated 17th century Franciscan historian Father Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding was an Irish Franciscan friar and historian.-Life:Wadding was born in 16 October 1588 at Waterford to Walter Wadding of Waterford, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Anastasia Lombard . Educated at the school of Mrs...
OFM (1588–1657). Wadding authored his prestigious Annales Minorum detailing the history of the Franciscans from its founding in the 13th century to his day. Wadding had access to the archives of all the Franciscan fraternities of Europe including the mandated necrologies listing deceased members for whom prayers are said annually, even to this day, on the feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi celebrating his death. Fra Guido is recorded as having belonged to the Franciscan fraternity in Bologna.
External links
- "Bonatti on War"
- "Bonatti on Arabic Parts"
- "New Translation of Liber Astronomiae"
- The Life of Guido Bonatti
- "Anima astrologicae, Guido Bonattus by William Lilly, STudent in Astrology"
- Online Galleries, History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries High resolution images of works by Guido Bonatti in .jpg and .tiff format.