- Bernard Trevisan
Bernard Trevisan (Bernard of Treviso, Bernardus Trevisanus) refers to one or more Italian alchemists. These are often confused, or more accurately the name may refer to a shadowy figure or figures.
Biography
The figure from the fifteenth century is described as living from 1406-1490. He was born into a noble family in
Padua and spent his entire life spending his family fortune in search of thePhilosopher's stone .He began his career as an alchemist at the age of fourteen. [http://online.redwoods.cc.ca.us/depts/science/chem/crucible.htm] He had his family's permission, as they also desired to increase their wealth. He first worked with a monk of
Citeaux namedGotfridus Leurier . They attempted for eight years to the fashion thePhilosopher's stone out of hen eggshells and egg yolk purified in horse manure.He then worked with minerals and natural salts using
distillation andcrystallization methods borrowed fromGeber andRhazes . When these failed he turned to vegetable and animal material, finally using humanblood andurine . He gradually sold his wealth to buy secrets and hints towards the stone, most often from swindlers. He traveled all over the known world, including the Baltics, Germany, Spain, France, Vienna, Egypt, Palestine, Persia, Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, to find hints left by past alchemists. His health had been deteriorating, most likely from the fumes he had created with his alchemy. He retired to the Island of Rhodes, still working on thePhilosopher's stone until his death in 1490.Attributed works
In the sixteenth century alchemical works were attributed to Bernard. For example, "Trevisanus de Chymico miraculo, quod lapidem philosophiae appellant" was edited in 1583 by
Gerard Dorn . "The Answer of Bernardus Trevisanus, to the Epistle of Thomas of Bononia" [Thomas of Bononia being described as physician toCharles VIII of France , king at the end of the fifteenth century.] , and "The Prefatory Epistle of Bernard Earl of Tresne", in English, appeared in the 1680 "Aurifontina Chymica". [http://www.levity.com/alchemy/books/bk280.htm]Notes
Further reading
* cite encyclopedia
last = Kibre
first = Pearl
title = Bernard of Trevisan
encyclopedia =Dictionary of Scientific Biography
volume = 2
pages = 22-23
publisher = Charles Scribner's Sons
location = New York
date = 1970
isbn = 0684101149External links
* [http://www.alchemywebsite.com/trevisanus_fountain.html "Parable of the Fountain"]
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