BONINI, ALESSANDRO da ALESSANDRIA. — Francesco, born in Alessandria (Piedmont) around 1270, died in Rome on 5 October 1314. Having donned the habit of the Friars Minor, he was sent to Paris where he studied and taught alongside Duns Scotus. Returning to Italy, he became a lecturer at the Sacred Palace in Rome. Benedict XI, with a bull dated 29 November 1303, granted him the privileges of a doctor of Paris. In 1308 he was again in Paris, where he took part in the trial against the Templars. He contributed to the condemnation of the Spirituals (Olivi). In 1313 he was elected Minister General of the Order at the general chapter in Barcelona and worked diligently to restore peace and discipline within II. However, his efforts were cut short by his untimely death.
He wrote a Commentary on the Sentences; Commentaries on Aristotle’s Metaphysics (published in Venice in 1572 under the name of Alexander of Hales); an excellent commentary on De anima; Quodlibeta; Quaestiones de usura; commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans, the Fourth Gospel, and Ecclesiasticus. His significance in philosophy lies in his attempt to reconcile the logical spirit of Aristotle with the ethical inspiration of Plato.