author
active 13th century de Maricourt Pierre
Known for one of the earliest scientific studies of magnetism, this 13th-century French scholar helped turn the lodestone from a curiosity into an object of careful experiment. His surviving letter on magnets was influential for centuries and is still remembered in the history of science.
1 Audiobook
The Letter of Petrus Peregrinus on the Magnet, A.D. 1269
by active 13th century de Maricourt Pierre
About the author
Pierre de Maricourt, also known in Latin as Petrus Peregrinus de Maricourt and often called Peter Peregrinus, was a French scholar active in the 13th century. He is chiefly remembered for a letter written in 1269 during the siege of Lucera, usually known as Epistola de magnete.
That work is widely noted as the earliest surviving treatise devoted to magnets. In it, he described experiments with lodestones, discussed magnetic poles, and explained practical uses including the compass, giving his work an unusually hands-on, experimental character for its time.
Very little is known for certain about his life beyond those scattered details, which makes the surviving text even more important. What remains clear is that his writing earned a lasting place in the history of medieval science and the study of magnetism.