NICCOLÒ of AMIENS. — Medieval master who lived in the second half of the 12th century, perhaps until the beginning of the 13th century.
He is the author of a work De arte catholicae fidei, published by Pez (Thesaurus anecdot. noviss., I) and subsequently in PL 210, under the name of Alano di Lilla. M. Grabmann demonstrated that it belongs to N. d’A. It is a theological-apologetic work, intended to demonstrate the truth of the Catholic faith even to non-Christians. Its characteristic feature is the geometrical method, which begins with definitions (of substance, cause, etc.), postulates, and axioms, in order to demonstrate the theorems of Catholic doctrine.
BIBL.: M. Grabmann, Gesch. der schol. Methode, Freiburg im Br. 1909–11, p. 459 ff.; Überweg, II, p. 247; P. Glorieux, Répertoire des maîtres en théologie de Paris au XIIIe siècle, I, Paris 1933, no. 107; E. Gilson, La philosophie au moyen-âge, 2nd ed., there 1944, pp. 316–18. Sofia Vanni Rovighi