Arnaldus de Villa Nova

Arnaldus de Villa Nova (also called Arnau de Vilanova, Arnaldus Villanovanus, Arnaud de Ville-Neuve or Arnaldo de Villanueva, c. 1240–1311) was a physician and a religious reformer.

He is credited with translating a number of medical texts from Arabic, including works by Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Abu-l-Salt and Galen.

Biography

Arnaldus' place and date of birth are debated: some historians believe he was born in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, a village near Montpellier; others are doubtful because there are also towns of the same name in Aragon such as Villanueva de Jiloca, in the Kingdom of Valencia, in Catalonia, in Languedoc and in Provence. Regardless, he is known in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands by the name "Arnau de Vilanova" and it is certain that he wrote most of his works in Catalan (Confessió de Barcelona, Raonament d'Avinyó). Whatever the reality, Arnaldus had a reputation as a doctor, theologian and alchemist.

He studied medicine in Montpellier until 1260. He travelled through France, Catalonia and Italy as doctor and ambassador. He lived at the court of Aragon and was the personal physician of the King of Aragon from 1281. At the death of Peter III of Aragon in 1285, he left Barcelona for Montpellier, where he taught at the School of Medicine. He was once again imprisoned in Paris around 1304, under pope Benedict XI. The Sorbonne ordered his philosophical works to be burned.

He became an ambassador for James II, king of Aragon and Sicily. He sought refuge from the Inquisition at the court of Frederick III in Sicily and was later called to Avignon as a doctor for pope Clement V. The inquisitor of Tarragona condemned him and fifteen of his propositions were censured.

Writings

Arnaldus was also thought to be an alchemist: the door to his house in Montpellier, France, had carved depictions of a roaring lion and dragon biting its own tail (an Ouroboros), both alchemical symbols, and several renowned alchemists recognized him as an adept. He was also known as an astrologer.

Many alchemical writings, including Rosarius Philosophorum, Novum Lumen, or Flos Florum, are also ascribed to him, but they are not authentic. Collected editions of them were published at Lyon in 1504 and 1532 (with a biography by Symphorianus Campegius), at Basel in 1585, and at Lyon in 1686. He is also the reputed author of important medical works, such as Speculum medicinae and Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum, but many others, such as Breviarium Practicae, were falsely attributed to him. In addition, he wrote many theological works for the reformation of Christianity in Latin and in Catalan, some of them including apocalyptical prophecies.

He is the author of a short treatise called De Vinis, on the medicinal use of wine and the way spoiled wine could be improved.

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).