Medieval Weather Prediction | Physics Today

Who created the term “weather forecast”? What is astrometeorology and why was it widely embraced? Is it all about ignorance or just a necessary step in the process of discovery?

… astrometeorology continued to develop during the 14th and 15th centuries and reached ever-growing audiences in the 16th and 17th centuries. It only fell from favor in the 18th century when forecasters began to view astrology with scorn.

Read the Article | Physics Today | Anne Lawrence-Mathers

The recommended article mentions a Guido Bonatti, astrologer and astronomer who lived in XIII century. After looking up on the Internet, I found an account of his life. “The Life of Guido Bonatti” by Benjamin Dykes makes a very informative and engaging read. Just to give some examples:

Dante has immortalized Bonatti by placing him in Hell: the eighth Circle, fourth Ring, the Fortune Tellers and Diviners. There, the damned souls who have tried to divine the future are placed with their heads turned completely around (facing the past, as it were), their eyes blinded with tears.

and the true story of his death will remain unknown

It seems, then, that Bonatti died after 1281 (if he was at the siege of Forlì) but before late 1296. But how did he die? According to Muratori, upon returning from a study trip to Paris and other Italian cities, he was beset by robbers in or near Casena and murdered on the road, his body left there.

Thumbnail Image : Guido Bonatti, engraving | Perkele, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Readings !