La Geomanzia fra pratica e metodo nella Bologna di fine Duecento: Il caso di Bartolomeo da Parma

This article explores the role of Bartolomeo da Parma in the development of geomancy in late thirteenth-century Bologna. It argues that Bartolomeo transformed geomancy from a marginal divinatory practice into a structured and teachable discipline closely linked to astrology and the liberal arts. Through works such as the Ars geomantiae nova and the Breviloquium artis geomantiae, he presented geomancy as a rational and methodical system capable of guiding decision-making in situations of uncertainty. The study also highlights Bartolomeo’s connections with major intellectual traditions and figures such as William of Moerbeke and Michael Scot, showing how his writings became part of a wider medieval geomantic canon. Particular attention is given to his technical procedures, which organized geomantic interpretation through precise rules and symbolic structures. More broadly, the article shows how geomancy functioned not only as a form of divination, but also as a practical technology of knowledge and counsel within the academic and social environment of medieval Bologna.