Bouvelles, Charles [Carolus Bovillus]

1. Dates

Born: Soyecourt (near Amiens), c. 1471

Died: c. 1553

Dateinfo: Both Dates Uncertain

Lifespan: 82

2. Father

Occupation: Aristocrat

Niceron says that Bouvelles came from the noble Bovelles family.

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: French

Career: French

Death: French

4. Education

Schooling: Paris

He was studying in Paris in 1495 when the plague forced him to flee. He studied under Le Fevre d'Etaples. Apparently no degree.

1503, he travelled to Switzerland, Germany (Mainz), and perhaps Italy.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic

He became a priest.

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Mathematics, Natural Philosophy

He is famous for Goemetricae introductionis, published in Latin, 1503; in French, 1542; in Dutch, 1547. In this work Bouvelles made several attempts to solve the old problem of the quadrature of the circle. He also published Liber de XII numbers (15 10), which dealt with perfect numbers, and Geometrie en francoy, propably the first geometrical treatise printed in French.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Church Life

After travelling across Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France), he returned to his home, entered the priesthood, and held a canonry in St. Quentin and another in Noyon, where he taught theology. He rarely celebrated mass.

8. Patronage

Type: Eccesiastic Official

The attention and affection of Charles de Hangest, Bishop of Noyon (d. 1520) provided Bouvelles with plenty of leisure for his work. Many of his works were composed at the bishop's country estate.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: None

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Sources

1. J.Dippel, Versuch einer systematischen Darstellung der Philosophie des Carolus Bovellus, (Wuzburg, 1865)--Part I: "Leben und Schriften des Bovillus," pp. 15-40.
2. J.P. Niceron, Mémoires pour servir a l'histoire des hommes illustres, 39, 158-71.
3. Biographie universelle.
4. P.Sanders, "Charles de Bovelles's Treatise on the Regular Polyhedra (Paris, 1511)", in 'Annals of Science', 41 (1984), 513-566.

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.