Arnaldus de Villa Nova

Arnaldus de Villa Nova (also called Arnaldus de Villanueva, Arnaldus Villanovanus, Arnaud de Ville-Neuve or Arnau de Vilanova), ( 1235 Valencia–1311 Genoa), alchemist, astrologer and physician, appears to have been of Catalan origin, and to have studied chemistry, medicine, physics, and also Arabic philosophy. After having lived at the court of Aragon, he went to Paris, where he gained a considerable reputation; but he incurred the enmity of the ecclesiastics and was forced to flee, finally finding an asylum in Sicily. About 1313 he was summoned to Avignon by Pope Clement V, who was ill, but he died on the voyage.

He is credited with translating a number of medical texts from Arabic, including works by Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Qusta ibn Luqa (Costa ben Luca), and Galen. [D. Campbell, "Arabian Medicine and Its Influence on the Middle Ages", p. 5.] Many alchemical writings, including "Thesaurus Thesaurorum" or "Rosarius Philosophorum", "Novum Lumen", and "Flos Florum", are also ascribed to him, but they are of very doubtful authenticity. Collected editions of them were published at Lyon in 1504 and 1532 (with a biography by Symphorianus Campegius), at Basel in 1585, at Frankfurt in 1603, and at Lyon in 1686. He is also the reputed author of various medical works, including "Breviarium Practicae". Among his achievements was the discovery of carbon monoxide and pure alcohol.

"Liber de Vinis"

The first wine book to be mass printed was de Villanova's "Liber de Vinis". Written from a predominantly medical view point, de Villanova's work covers a range of wine topics from the best circumstance for people to taste wine "...in the morning after they have rinsed their mouths and eaten three or four bites of bread dipped in water" and never on a full or empty stomach, as well as remedies for wines that may have gone flat or those with bad smells. Wine is also recommended as treatment of various medical illnesses such dementia and sinus troubles. [ Hugh Johnson, "Vintage: The Story of Wine" pg 126. Simon and Schuster 1989 ]

See also

* Brazen Head
* Latin translations of the 12th century

Footnotes

References

See J. B. Haureau in the "Histoire litteraire de la France" (1881), vol. 28; E. Lalande, "Arnaud de Villeneuve, sa vie et ses oeuvres" (Paris, 1896). A list of writings is given by J. Ferguson in his "Bibliotheca Chemica" (1906). See also U. Chevalier, "Repertoire des sources hist., &c., Bio-bibliographie" (Paris, 1903).
*1911

Further reading

* cite encyclopedia
last = McVaugh
first = Michael
title = Arnald of Villanova
encyclopedia = Dictionary of Scientific Biography
volume = 1
pages = 289-291
publisher = Charles Scribner's Sons
location = New York
date = 1970
isbn = 0684101149

Links

*http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15429c.htm
*http://www.luc.edu/publications/medieval/vol4/daly.html

Works of Arnaldus:
* [http://digital.slub-dresden.de/ppn281380317 Excerpta medica - Mscr.Dresd.C.278] . [S.l.] 1500, Online-Ausgabe der Sächsischen Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden
* [http://digital.slub-dresden.de/ppn277076854 Opus aureum] . Frankfurt a. Mayn 1604, Online-Ausgabe der Sächsischen Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden
* [http://digital.slub-dresden.de/ppn277141982 Hermetis Trismegisti Phoenicum Aegyptiorum Sed et aliarum Gentium Monarchae Conditoris ... sive Tabula Smaragdina] . [Leipzig] 1657, Online-Ausgabe der Sächsischen Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden
* [http://digital.slub-dresden.de/ppn278891675 Hermetischer Rosenkrantz, Das ist: Vier schöne, außerlesene Chymische Tractätlein] . [Hamburg] 1682, Online-Ausgabe der Sächsischen Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden