Guido Faba

[2] According to his autobiographical account, he took a two-year hiatus from his original studies at the University of Bologna:The malice of the adversary of old began to envy Guido's future wisdom and the service he would perform for humanity to such an extent that he had to abandon his literary studies in which he had achieved great proficiency, and descend to learning, in addition, the blacksmith's art.

He appears as a notary with the Bolognese delegation to the papal legate Ugo da Ostia at Viterbo in 1219–1220.

[2] Before 1225–1226, he became a teacher of rhetoric attached to the chapel of San Michele in Mercato di Mezzo [it], which he reorganized.

He took holy orders and in his works describes himself as a master (magister), chaplain (cappellanus), canon (canonicus), priest (sacerdos) and presbyter of San Michele.

[2] Guido's other works all circulated much less widely,[2] but the Gemma and Parlamenta are important in the history of the Italian language.

[2] Rota nova ('New Wheel'), written around 1225–1226 and preserved complete in a single manuscript (partially in three others), is an introductory Latin text on the art of letter writing.

And sitting enthroned in the seat of the wheel, he holds in his right hand two wings, which he received from the archangel [San Michele].

[11] Several short works by Guido are found only in Oxford, New College Library, MS 255, the same manuscript containing the complete text of the Rota nova.