The Liber Compostelle Attributed to Friar Bonaventura of Iseo: The Textual Tradition of a Thirteenth-Century Alchemical Encyclopedia.

The Liber Compostelle is an alchemical encyclopedia associated with the name of Bonaventura of Iseo, a friar of great reputation and an esteemed preacher around the middle of the thirteenth century. It is one of the first works to show an interest in medicine and pharmacology among the Friars Minor. Despite its importance, the Liber Compostelle has never been published. This article investigates the textual history of the treatise, and the problems of its authorship and dating, examining the eight manuscripts that contain the Liber. It shows that the text written around the mid-thirteenth century, probably by Bonaventura, was variously and freely adapted and modified around the end of the century, resulting in two versions of the text. Finally, the article examines the main characteristics of the treatise, such as its compilatory nature, its emphasis on practical applications, and the presence of typical themes of Franciscan alchemical literature.