TROMBETTA, ANTONIO

Known also as Tubeta; Franciscan philosopher and theologian; b. Padua, 1436; d. there, 1517. He was regent of the Conventual studium generale at Padua and from c. 1476 to 1511 was professor of Scotistic metaphysics at the university. For 18 years he was provincial minister; in 1511 he was elected bishop of Urbino; and he was one of eight bishops on a commission that prepared a decree for the Fifth Lateran Council in 1513 condemning the Averroist thesis on the mortality and unity of the human soul. A follower of duns scotus, Trombetta edited one of the first editions of Scotus's In I sententiarum (Venice 1472). While defending Scotistic doctrine, he was frequently involved in debate with the occupant of the Thomistic chair at the university, particularly Tommaso de Vio cajetan, who bitterly attacked Trombetta in his commentary on De ente et essentia. Trombetta's principal works include his Quaestiones metaphysicales (Venice 1493), which reappeared in 1502 as a commentary on the 12 books of Aristotle's Metaphysics; Sententia in tractatum formalitatum scoticarum (Venice 1493); Quaestio de animarum humanarum pluralitate (Venice 1498); Quaestio de efficientia primi principii, quod est Deus, ad mentem Aristotelis et de eius infinitate intensiva (Venice 1513); and De adulto non baptizato (Venice 1513).

See Also: scotism.

Bibliography: l. wadding, Scriptores Ordinis Minorum (Rome 1650; 3d ed. 1906). j. h. sbaralea, Supplementum et castigatio ad scriptores trium ordinum S. Francisci a Waddingo, 2 v. (Rome 1806; new ed. in 4 v. 1906–36) v.1. a. poppi, "Lo scotista patavino A. Trombetta," Il Santo 2 (1962) 349–367; "L'antiaverroismo della scolastica padovana alla fine del secolo XV," Studia Patavina 11 (1964) 102–124.

[a. poppi]