Guglielmo Gratorolo

Guglielmo Grataroli

Guglielmo Gratorolo or Gratoroli (born May 16, 1516 in Bergamo , † April 16, 1568 in Basel ) was an Italian alchemist and doctor.

Life

Gratorolo came from a wealthy family of wool merchants and doctors, studied in Padua and Venice (Laurea 1539). He was a doctor in Milan and Bergamo, as a Calvinist found refuge before persecution by the Inquisition, first in Graubünden, Strasbourg and from 1552 in Basel, where he worked as a doctor and taught medicine. In 1562 he was a brief professor in Marburg for a year, where he gave his first lecture (on the Ars parva des Galen ) on February 8, 1562 , but then returned to Basel in 1565.

In 1561 he published a collection of alchemical texts (Verae alchemiae artisque metallicae, citra aenigmata, doctrina) with the publisher and printer Sebastian Henricpetri in Basel. It was part of a series of alchemical compilations starting with De Alchemia and ending in the Theatrum Chemicum . He also published alchemical texts for the Basel publisher Pietro Perna (such as Johannes von Rupescissa in 1561 ). Gratorolo also edited the philosophers Guillaume de Conches and Pietro Pomponazzi .

He has also published on medicine, wine, memory, agriculture and other topics.

Fonts

De Memoria Reparanda, Augenda, Servandaque Andream Gesner. F. & Rodolphum Vuyssenbachium, 1553
Regimen omnium iter agentium, 1556, 1563
Verae alchemiae artisque metallicae, citra aenigmata, doctrina certusque modus, Heinrich Petri et Pietro Perna, Basel 1561, digitized
Pestis descriptio, causa signa omnigena et praeservatio, apud Federicum Morellum, Paris 1561

Verae Alchemiae, contents

Many texts had already been printed in De Alchemia , Gratorolo only omitted the Tabula Smaragdina in Volume 1 with the commentary by Hortulanus , which appeared separately in Basel a year earlier in 1560 (and was incorrectly ascribed to Johannes de Garlandia ). The main aim is to publish the writings of Pseudo-Lull and Pseudo-Geber. Contents of the edition of 1561 (there was also a reprint of part of the writings in Basel 1572):

Part 1:

Chrysorrhoas, sive De Arte Chymica Dialogus
( Giovanni Bracesco ): Dialogus Ioannis Braccschi, cui titulus est Lignum vitae, in quo etiam Gebri Philosophi expositio succincta continentur
In one Braceschuni Gebri interpretem, animadversio, authore loanne Tauladano (called Robertus Tauladanus in the scriptures)
Gebri Opera: De investigatione perfectionis
( Pseudo-giver ) Gebri Opera: Summa perfectionis,
Gebri Opera: De inventione veritatis sive perfectionis,
Gebri Opera: Liber Fornacum,
( Roger Bacon ) Rogerii Bachonis De Alchemia libellus cui titulum fecit. Speculum Alchemiae,
(Ricardus Anglicus) Richardi Anglici Libellus peri Chemeias, cui titulum fecit, Correctorium,
Rosarius minor
( Chalid ibn Yazid ) Liber Secretorum Alchemiae compositus per Calid, filium Iazichi
Loci aliquot practiciae ex Gebero declatali per. . . Joannen Braceschum Vrceanum,

Volume 2:

Liber de Magni lapidis Compositione et Operatione, Authore adhuc incerto,
Sententia loannis Baptistae Montani, de sublimatione,
Rosarius philosophorum Arnaldi de Villanova,
Novum lumen eiusdem vel alterius,
( Arnaldus de Villanova ) Epistola Magistri Arnaldi de Villa nova super Alchymiam ad regem Neapolitanum,
Liber perfecti Magisteri, qui Lumen Luminum nuncupatur. . . vocatur etiam Flos florum Arnaldi de Villanova, longe correctior & melior hactenus impressis,
Practica Magistri Arnaldi de Villanova, ad quendam Papam, ex libro dicto, Breviarius librorum Alchymiae,
( Albertus Magnus ) Alberti Magni Ratisponensis episcopi de Alchymia liber integerrimus,
Scriptum Alberti super Arborem Aristotelis,
( Pseudo-Lull ) Apertorium Raymundi Lullii De veri lapidis compositione,
Ars intellectiva ejusdem super Lapidem Philosophorum,
Practica ejusdem,
Idem de intentione Alchimistarum,
Ejusdem Summaria Lapidis Consideratio et eius abbreviationes,
Ejusdem Libellus utilissimus de Mercurio solo,
Liber experimentorum,
Pulcherrimum opus de transmutatione metallorum,
Capitulum valde magnum in albedine, & omnibus nobilius, ex libro qui dicitur Philosophus mirabilis,
Liber Mercuriorum Raymundi Lullii,
Intentio summaria, quae aliter dicitur Repertorium, valde utilis ad intelligentiam Testamenti, Codicilli & aliorum librorum Raymundi Lullii,
Aristotelis de Perfecto Magisterio exquisitum & integerrimum opus, & c.,
Libellus duodecim aquarum, ex libro Emanuelis,
Aquae rubeae Avicennas ad tendingum quatuor spiritus sublimatos albos,
Elixiriorum varia compositio & modus,
( Johannes von Rupescissa ) Joannis de Rupescissa liber de confectione ver Lapidis Philosophorum,
( Johannes Ferrarius ) De lapide Philosophorum secundum verum modum formando Efferarii monachi,
Thesaurus Philosophiae,
(Pseudo-Lull) Praxis universalis Magni operis, ex Raymundo,
De lapidis philosophorum formatione epilogus,
Practica Magistri Odomari ad discipulum,
Arcanum Philosophorum, ut ex Saturno facias aurum perfectum,
Perfecta Salis communis praeparatio ad lapidem philosophorum,
Historiola Antiqua de Argento in aurum verso,
Tractatus de Marchasita, ex qua fit Elixir ad album verissimum,
Caput de sale alchali,
Quaestio to Lapis philosophicus valcat contra pestem,
Velus Epistola doctiss. de Metallorum materia, & artis imititatione,
Practica Caravantis Hispani,
Lapidis Philosophici Nomenclaturae, & Gulielmo Gratarolo collectae.
( Giovanni Aurelio Augurello ) loannis Aurelii Augurelli Chrysopoeiae libri iii., Et Geronticon Liber i.,
Regimina Artis,

literature

Guido Jüttner: Wilhelm Gratarolus, Benedikt Aretius. Scientific relations between the University of Marburg and Switzerland in the sixteenth century. Mathematical and scientific dissertation Marburg 1969.
Rolf Heyers: Dr. Georg Marius , called Mayer von Würzburg (1533-1606). (Dental) medical dissertation Würzburg 1957, p. 26.
Alessandro Pastore: Gratoroli, Guglielmo. In: Mario Caravale (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 58: Gonzales-Graziani. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 2002.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ As Ferguson, Bibl. Chemica, Volume 1, p. 342 writes, some authors give dates of death in 1562 (as Petrus Nigidius the Younger in his Marburg professor catalog and Christian Gottlieb Jöcher ) and 1564. 1568 gives z. B. Friedrich Wilhelm Strieder Foundations of a Hessian Scholar and Writer History 1785

^ Peter Nigidius: Elenchus Professorum Academiae Marpurgensis vita defunctorum. Paul Egenolph, Marburg 1591.

^ After John Ferguson, Bibliotheca Chemica, Volume 1, 1906, p. 341

↑ An anonymous dialogue published in Cologne as early as 1559, which falsely appropriated Paracelsus as a proponent of the possibility of gold transmutation. For a long time it was assumed that the dialogue was by Gratorolo himself, but who was an opponent of Paracelsus. Jüttner suspected the Paracelsus friend Bartholomäus Schobinger (1500–1585), which Didier Kahn completely rejects.

↑ As a kind of commentary on the following writings by Pseudo-Lull and Pseudo-Geber: published as early as 1548 in a Latin translation by Petreius (De Alchemia Dialogi Duo). The translation comes from Gratorolo, who met Bracesco in 1551 and received a copy of his book from him (Didier Kahn, see web links). He replaces the name of the dialogue partner Demogorgon von Bracesco with a nameless Lull student.

↑ Tauladanus is an otherwise unknown French alchemist. Here he attacks Bracescos' pseudo-giver's interpretation that the prima materia of the alchemists is fire

↑ reproduced in Greek

↑ Also called De Alchemia after Ferguson. Possibly from 1325 by an unknown author. Published here for the first time.

↑ Falsely attributed to Arnaldus von Villanova as well as the other texts under his name. Villanova's works were published in 1504 and 1509.

↑ Incorrectly attributed as well as the other texts here under his name

^ Pseudo- Aristotle , an important text in alchemy, printed here for the first time

^ First print of the Liber Lucis by Johannes von Rupescissa

↑ Odomar, Parisian monk and alchemist of the 14th century

↑ Possible use of the Philosopher's Stone against the plague. Chiara Crisciani, Michela: Black Death and Golden Remedies. Some Remarks on Alchemy and the Plague, in: A. Paravicini Bagliani, F. Santi (Eds.), The Regulation of Evil. Social and Cultural Attitudes to Epidemics in the Late Middle Ages, Florence: Sismel - Edizioni del Galluzzo, 1998, pp. 7-39

↑ Caravantes, Spanish alchemist, about whom nothing is known. Ferguson, Bibl. Chemica, Volume 1, 1906, p. 141. First print here.

^ Poems by Augurello, including Chrysopoeia with alchemical content, the Geronticon not. Published as early as 1518 in Basel by Johannes Froben

personal data
SURNAME	Gratorolo, Guglielmo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Grataroli, Guglielmo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Italian alchemist
DATE OF BIRTH	May 16, 1516
PLACE OF BIRTH	Bergamo
DATE OF DEATH	April 16, 1568
Place of death	Basel

[1] As Ferguson, Bibl. Chemica, Volume 1, p. 342 writes, some authors give dates of death in 1562 (as Petrus Nigidius the Younger in his Marburg professor catalog and Christian Gottlieb Jöcher ) and 1564. 1568 gives z. B. Friedrich Wilhelm Strieder Foundations of a Hessian Scholar and Writer History 1785

[2] Peter Nigidius: Elenchus Professorum Academiae Marpurgensis vita defunctorum. Paul Egenolph, Marburg 1591.

[3] After John Ferguson, Bibliotheca Chemica, Volume 1, 1906, p. 341

[4] An anonymous dialogue published in Cologne as early as 1559, which falsely appropriated Paracelsus as a proponent of the possibility of gold transmutation. For a long time it was assumed that the dialogue was by Gratorolo himself, but who was an opponent of Paracelsus. Jüttner suspected the Paracelsus friend Bartholomäus Schobinger (1500–1585), which Didier Kahn completely rejects.

[5] As a kind of commentary on the following writings by Pseudo-Lull and Pseudo-Geber: published as early as 1548 in a Latin translation by Petreius (De Alchemia Dialogi Duo). The translation comes from Gratorolo, who met Bracesco in 1551 and received a copy of his book from him (Didier Kahn, see web links). He replaces the name of the dialogue partner Demogorgon von Bracesco with a nameless Lull student.

[6] Tauladanus is an otherwise unknown French alchemist. Here he attacks Bracescos' pseudo-giver's interpretation that the prima materia of the alchemists is fire

[7] reproduced in Greek

[8] Also called De Alchemia after Ferguson. Possibly from 1325 by an unknown author. Published here for the first time.

[9] Falsely attributed to Arnaldus von Villanova as well as the other texts under his name. Villanova's works were published in 1504 and 1509.

[10] Incorrectly attributed as well as the other texts here under his name

[11] Pseudo- Aristotle , an important text in alchemy, printed here for the first time

[12] First print of the Liber Lucis by Johannes von Rupescissa

[13] Odomar, Parisian monk and alchemist of the 14th century

[14] Possible use of the Philosopher's Stone against the plague. Chiara Crisciani, Michela: Black Death and Golden Remedies. Some Remarks on Alchemy and the Plague, in: A. Paravicini Bagliani, F. Santi (Eds.), The Regulation of Evil. Social and Cultural Attitudes to Epidemics in the Late Middle Ages, Florence: Sismel - Edizioni del Galluzzo, 1998, pp. 7-39

[15] Caravantes, Spanish alchemist, about whom nothing is known. Ferguson, Bibl. Chemica, Volume 1, 1906, p. 141. First print here.

[16] Poems by Augurello, including Chrysopoeia with alchemical content, the Geronticon not. Published as early as 1518 in Basel by Johannes Froben