Servetus, MICHAEL, or MIGUEL SERVETO, a theologian and physician, was born at Tudela in Navarre in 1511, though he stated that he was born at Villanova near Lerida, and from about 1535 always styled himself Michael Villanovanus. His father sent him to study law at Saragossa and at Toulouse. His interest in theological discussions was awakened whilst he was yet a student, and having gone to Italy (1530) in the company of Quintaña, confessor to Charles V., he passed on from there into Germany, and came into contact with Luther, Gcolampadius, Bucer, and others of the Reformers. But his own views, especially in respect of the Trinity—he denied that there are three Persons in the Trinity and refused to acknowledge the eternity of the Son, and in other respects professed tenets similar to those of Socinus (q.v.)—were in discord both with those of the Reformers and the authoritative teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. The essay in which he propounded his speculations—De Trinitatis Erroribus (1531)—provoked considerable discussion. In 1536 he began to study medicine at Paris, and after a few years of wandering settled down to practise at Vienne (1541). Four or five years later he began to correspond with Calvin, and in spite of Calvin's openly avowed enmity wished to visit him at Geneva. At length, having secretly reprinted (1553) his collection of theological tracts, he was betrayed, and denounced, it is alleged at the instance of Calvin, to the inquisitor at Lyons. He was arrested, but managed to escape from prison; yet rashly venturing into Geneva he was again arrested, and after a trial of more than two months was burned alive (27th October 1553), the day after sentence was pronounced, at Champnel near Geneva. As a scientific inquirer he is best known by a popular book on syrups and by his demonstration of the pulmonary circulation of the blood.
See CALVIN; Tollin, Charakterbild Michel Servet's (1876), Das Lehrsystem M. Servet's (3 vols. 1876-78), and other books; Trechsel, Die Protestantischen Antitrinitarier vor F. Socin (1839); Pünjer, De M. Serveti Doctrina (1876); and Willis, Servetus and Calvin (1877), which, however, must be used with very great caution.