Our Group

In the years 2009-2011 a reading and research seminar on Roger Bacon’s Communia Naturalium was held at the SISMEL, in order to bring together and compare our reading impressions and research experiences on one of Bacon’s most extensive, multifaceted and relatively little investigated works, the Communia Naturalium. This setting seemed useful in view of an extensive and detailed contextualization of Bacon’s thought on natural philosophy. Therefore, as a group of Italian scholars of Medieval thought, linked by methodological affinity although devoted to research on different topics, we worked together on a research aimed to highlight issues and/or parts of the text which turned to be of particular relevance, according to the points of view that research interests, experience, and the sensitivity of each of us allowed to grasp.

Members of the seminar were Chiara Crisciani, Cecilia Panti, Paola Bernardini, Roberto Lambertini, †Romana Martorelli, Anna Rodolfi and Michela Pereira. In its final stage the seminar also saw the participation of Jeremiah Hackett. The ‘Giornata di Studi Internazionali’, held on 5th October 2011 at Palazzo Strozzi, concluded the seminar, whose proceedings were published in vol. 64 of Micrologus’ Library.

During that seminar, a clear perception emerged that we had set foot in the intellectual laboratory of the philosopher, as if we could see him building his own conceptual tools, in a close dialogue and often in opposition to the more classical and philosophical auctoritates and to the magistri of his time. This seemed to open a new view on Bacon’s thought, methodologically and historically relevant. Therefore we decided to bring forth this experience, focusing on (another barely explored work by Roger Bacon: his Moralis Philosophia. The members of this second, current seminar are more numerous: to those who took part in the first (excepted Romana, who died prematurely), have joined Agostino Paravicini Bagliani, Carla Casagrande, Francesco Santi, Silvana Vecchio and Nicola Polloni.

The method for inquiring on the Moralis Philosophia is the same as in the previous seminar, yet we have decided –also considering the increased operative possibilities and the importance of basic research tools within the context of the SISMEL– to provide a data-base of the manuscript tradition of Bacon’s works, with links to relevant research and bibliographical materials, and to launch this website as a virtual meeting point for all scholars who are researching on Roger Bacon, or are interested in his thought and works. Any feedback, as well as contributions to the database, bibliographical additions, news on Baconian research, will be welcome.