Albizzi, Bartolomeo

Albizzi, Bartolomeo of Pisa, a Franciscan monk and writer, better known under his Latin name Bartholomeus Albicius Pisanus, born at Rivano, in Tuscany, died at Pisa, Dec. 10, 1401. He owes his celebrity to a blasphemous work (Liber Conformitatum Sancti Francisci cum Christo), in which he drew a parallel between the events in the life of Christ and the life of Francis of Assisi. This work was presented to and expressly approved by the General Chapter of the Franciscan Order in the meeting at Assisi in 1339. The first edition of the work appeared, without date, at Venice (in folio); the second (1480) and third (1484) editions, which appeared under the title Li Fioretti di San Francisco, assimilati alla vita ed alla passione di Nostro Figuare, are only abridgments. A refutation of this work by P. Vergerio (Discorsi supra i Fioretti di San Francisco) was put into the Index, and the author declared a heretic. At the time of the Reformation Erasmus Alber (q.v.) wrote a celebrated work against Albizzi. The refutations of Albizzi, and especially the work of Alber, produced so profound an impression that the Franciscans considered it best to modify the work. Hence a large number of editions were published, which differ from the original both in title and in contents, such as the Liber Aureas by Bucchius (Bologna, 1590), and the Antiquitates Franciscance by Bosquier (Cologne, 1623, 8vo). These editions were again followed by several apologies, refutations, and counter-refutations. According to Wadding (Annales Minorum, vol. 9), Albizzi had, during 60 years, the reputation of being an eminent preacher, and taught theology at Bologna, Padua, Pisa, Siena, and Florence. His sermons were published at Milan in 1488. A work, De vita et laudibus B. Marin Virginis, libri vii, appeared at Venice in 1596. Other works are still extant in manuscript. — Fabricius, Bibl. Lat. Med. et Infimoe oetatis, 1, 318; Hoefer, Biog. Generale, 1, 640.