Pietro d'Abano

Pietro d'Abano, also known as Petrus de Apono, Petrus Aponensis or Peter of Abano, was an Italian philosopher, astrologer, and professor of medicine in Padua. He was born in the Italian town from which he takes his name, now Abano Terme. He gained fame by writing Conciliator Differentiarum, quae inter Philosophos et Medicos Versantur. He was eventually accused of heresy and atheism, and came before the Inquisition. He died in prison in 1316 (some sources say 1315 ) before the end of his trial.

Biography Bust of Pietro d'Abano at the University of Padua in Palazzo del Bo, Padua.

Little is known about his early life, particularly before his studies. Around 1300 he moved to Paris, where he was promoted to the degrees of doctor in philosophy and medicine, in the practice of which he was very successful, but his fees were remarkably high. In Paris, he began to have issues with the inquisition. Also an astrologer, he was charged with practicing magic: the particular accusations being that he brought back into his purse, by the aid of the devil, all the money he paid away, and that he possessed the philosopher's stone.

Gabriel Naudé, in his Antiquitate Scholae Medicae Parisiensis, gives the following account of him:

He carried his enquiries so far into the occult sciences of abstruse and hidden nature, that, after having given most ample proofs, by his writings concerning physiognomy, geomancy, and palmistry, he moved on to the study of philosophy, physics, and astrology. These studies proved extremely advantageous to him. The first two led to his introduction to all the popes of his time and gained him a reputation among scholars. Beyond that, his mastery of astrology is shown by the astronomical figures he had painted in the great hall of the palace at Padua his translations of the books of the great learned rabbi Abraham Aben Ezra his own books on critical days the improvement of astronomy and the testimony of the renowned mathematician Regiomontanus, who praised his mastery of astrology in his public oration at Padua on Al-Farghani's masterwork Elements of astronomy on the celestial motions.

Writings

In his writings he expounds and advocates the medical and philosophical systems of Averroes, Avicenna, Part of the Pietro's work revolved around reconciling apparent differences between what was known regarding the five senses at the time and Aristotelian natural philosophy. On this, Pietro explains that while nerves are important in the sensation of touch, they are not the only part of the body responsible for the sensation. Instead, Pietro claims that Aristotle presented a counter example, citing that Aristotle asked if smell was in the water for fish. He believed that only physical matter could interact with a person's body as it was also made of matter. Therefore things that are immaterial or had no way to interact directly with a patient would have no physical effect on the patient.

One of his studies was on the actual source of healing power behind healing prayers and charms. While he refuted the physical effects of these practices, he could not deny their apparent effectiveness. The other investigations resulted in trials, but Pietro died before the trials reached a verdict. He was found guilty however, and his body was ordered to be exhumed and burned, but a group of friends had secretly moved it from place to place finally resting in St. Augustine's Church without burial Honors. The Inquisition had to content itself with the public proclamation of its sentence and the burning of d'Abano in effigy. It was claimed that he possessed the Philosophers Stone, and that all money he paid would return to him. The effigy burning was done to hopefully discourage people from reading his writing.

He was considered a great magician of the era by many, yet it was not on the score of magic that the Inquisition sentenced Pietro to death, but rather his denial of the influence of spirits (angels and demons). This is contradictory since it was believed by authors of the time that he had 7 spirits he had contained in crystal. He instead attributed the unnatural to celestial bodies, meaning during his second trial it was not for the crime of magic but for heresy.

It is unclear exactly how Pietro d'Abano died, however it is believed that he died in 1315. From his will we know that he did have children though little is known.