Talismans, armillary spheres, human bodies: magic and art of memory in Marsilio Ficino

Marsilio Ficino was a central figure in the Platonic and Hermetic revival in Renaissance Europe, yet his engagement with the art of memory remains largely unexplored. Given his profound influence on later thinkers associated with mnemonic traditions, a deeper investigation into this aspect of his work is essential. This study examines Ficino’s treatment of mnemotechnics, particularly in his "Letter to the Mathematician Banco". Furthermore, it explores the application of these ideas in Ficino’s "Imago mundi", as discussed in "De Vita Coelitus Comparanda", and its connection to Renaissance scientific instruments like the armillary sphere. Through this approach, the study aims to shed light on Ficino’s broader intellectual project and its intersections with memory, talismanic practices, and cosmology.