Fons memorabilium universi
Encyclopedia
Fons memorabilium universi ("Fountain of the Memorable Universe") is an early encyclopedia
, written in Latin
by the Italian humanist
Domenico Bandini of Arezzo (also given as Dominicus Bandinus, c. 1335 - 1418).
Planned to inform and edify educated men who lack other books, the work covered God and the natural world, as was common for encyclopedias of the time, but also added a voluminous last part dealing with man and historical figures, philosophy and history, theology and ethics, heretics and women.
Bandini, a teacher of grammar and rhethoric who lived in Florence
, Bologna
, Città di Castello
and Arezzo
, worked on the encyclopedia from before 1374 until his death in 1418. In Florence he was influenced by Coluccio Salutati
, causing him to emphasize topics related to the classical antiquity
in his work. Bandini's son Laurentius completed and published the work after his father's death and added an introductory apology, defending the work against criticism of style.
At least 26 manuscripts survive, including one at Balliol College and two at the Vatican Library
. Many of these contain only parts of the work. They all date from before 1460.
The whole work consists of between two and five volumes, depending on writing style and size.
The work was not very influential and was already almost forgotten in the 15th century. It was never printed, unlike the very successful 13th century encyclopedia De proprietatibus rerum by Bartholomeus Anglicus, from which Bandino had borrowed heavily. He also frequently cited the earlier works of Marcus Terentius Varro
, Pliny the Elder
, Gaius Julius Solinus
, Isidore of Seville
and Hrabanus Maurus.
The end of book 8 "on the planets" contains an unrelated interpolation praising two lawyers from Bologna
. The paragraph has been interpreted as an advertisement inserted by the lawyers, either by having paid scribes or by having worked as scribes themselves.
in his Speculum naturale and had also been used by Bartholomaus Anglicus in his Liber de proprietatibus rerum and by Thomas of Cantimpré
in his Liber de natura rerum.
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
, written in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
by the Italian humanist
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
Domenico Bandini of Arezzo (also given as Dominicus Bandinus, c. 1335 - 1418).
Planned to inform and edify educated men who lack other books, the work covered God and the natural world, as was common for encyclopedias of the time, but also added a voluminous last part dealing with man and historical figures, philosophy and history, theology and ethics, heretics and women.
Bandini, a teacher of grammar and rhethoric who lived in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Città di Castello
Città di Castello
Città di Castello is a city and comune in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of the Umbria region of Italy. It is situated on a slope of the Apennines, on the flood plain of the river Tiber. The city is north of Perugia and south of Cesena on the S3bis. It is connected to the A1...
and Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, worked on the encyclopedia from before 1374 until his death in 1418. In Florence he was influenced by Coluccio Salutati
Coluccio Salutati
Coluccio Salutati was an Italian Humanist and man of letters, and one of the most important political and cultural leaders of Renaissance Florence.-Birth and Early Career:...
, causing him to emphasize topics related to the classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
in his work. Bandini's son Laurentius completed and published the work after his father's death and added an introductory apology, defending the work against criticism of style.
At least 26 manuscripts survive, including one at Balliol College and two at the Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
. Many of these contain only parts of the work. They all date from before 1460.
The whole work consists of between two and five volumes, depending on writing style and size.
The work was not very influential and was already almost forgotten in the 15th century. It was never printed, unlike the very successful 13th century encyclopedia De proprietatibus rerum by Bartholomeus Anglicus, from which Bandino had borrowed heavily. He also frequently cited the earlier works of Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
, Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
, Gaius Julius Solinus
Gaius Julius Solinus
Gaius Julius Solinus, Latin grammarian and compiler, probably flourished in the early third century. Historical scholar Theodor Mommsen dates him to the middle of the third century....
, Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville
Saint Isidore of Seville served as Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien"...
and Hrabanus Maurus.
The end of book 8 "on the planets" contains an unrelated interpolation praising two lawyers from Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. The paragraph has been interpreted as an advertisement inserted by the lawyers, either by having paid scribes or by having worked as scribes themselves.
Organization
The work is organized in 5 parts, with each part divided into several books containing numerous cross references. Each of the 34 books covers one circle of topics. Some of these books consist of several introductory and systematical chapters, followed by an alphabetically ordered list of articles. This organization had been developed in the 13th century by Vincent of BeauvaisVincent of Beauvais
The Dominican friar Vincent of Beauvais wrote the Speculum Maius, the main encyclopedia that was used in the Middle Ages.-Early life:...
in his Speculum naturale and had also been used by Bartholomaus Anglicus in his Liber de proprietatibus rerum and by Thomas of Cantimpré
Thomas of Cantimpré
Thomas of Cantimpré was a Roman Catholic medieval writer, preacher, and theologian.-Biography:...
in his Liber de natura rerum.
- Part I
- 1. De deo
- 2. De angelis
- 3. De anima
- 4. De inferno
- Part II
- 5. De mundo
- 6. De eelo et signis celestibus
- 7. De stellis fixis
- 8. De planetis
- 9. De tempore
- Part III
- 10. De elementis in generali
- 11. De elemento ignis
- 12. De elemento aeris
- 13. De impressionibus aeris
- 14. De ornatu aeris (de avibus)
- 15. De aquis salsis
- 16. De aquis dulcibus
- 17. De piscibus
- Part IV
- 18. De provinciis
- 19. De insulis
- 20. De civitatibus
- 21. De aedificiis
- 22. De populis
- 23. De montibus
- 24. De arboribus
- 25. De herbis
- 26. De quadrupedibus
- 27. De reptilibus, serpentibus et vermibus
- 28. De lapidibus et gemmis
- 29. De metallis
- Part V
- 30. De viris claris
- 31. De sectis philosophorum
- 32. De virtutibus theologicis et moralibus
- 33. De sectis haereticorum
- 34. De mulieribus daris