Medieval University Life: From Dawn Lectures to Town-Gown Riots
The origins of European universities trace back to cathedral schools in the 11th and 12th centuries, with the University of Bologna, established in 1088, and the University of Paris emerging as prominent institutions by the 13th century. Enrollment typically consisted of young males starting at age 14 or older professionals in their thirties. Latin was a compulsory language, and breaches of this rule resulted in penalties. Accommodation options ranged from rented halls to hospitia at Oxford, which were regulated as early as 1214. Institutions like Collège des Dix-Huit (circa 1180) and Collège de Sorbonne (1253) provided assistance to needy students. Daily routines commenced at 4:00 a.m., featuring lectures and church attendance, with the curriculum covering the Trivium and Quadrivium. Tensions between townspeople and students led to violence, notably in 1229 and 1355.
Key facts
- The University of Bologna, founded in AD 1088, is the oldest university in Europe.
- At the University of Paris and Oxford, boys often enrolled between the ages of 14 and 15.
- The 1215 Statutes for the University of Paris, issued by Robert de Courçon, required lecturers in arts to be at least twenty years old.
- The Collège de Sorbonne, founded by Robert de Sorbon in 1253 and confirmed in 1257, supported 16 theology students.
- At the University of Vienna in the early 15th century, matriculation fees ranged from 12 to 24 Kreuzer depending on the faculty.
- The St. Scholastica Day Riot erupted on February 10, 1355, resulting in the deaths of 62 students.
- King Edward III imposed an annual penance on Oxford: every February 10, the mayor, bailiffs, and 62 townspeople had to attend a memorial mass and pay a penny for each dead scholar.
- The Carmina Burana, a 13th-century manuscript written in Bavaria, was used by Carl Orff as the basis for his 1937 oratorio.
Entities
Artists
- Robert de Courçon
- Robert de Sorbon
- Charles Homer Haskins
- Peter Cantor
- Thomas Aquinas
- Jacques de Vitry
- Carl Orff
- Giovanni da Legnano
- Laurentius de Voltolina
- Étienne Colaud
- Luca della Robbia
- Priscian
- King John
- King Edward III
- Pope Gregory IX
- Cardinal Wolsey
Institutions
- University of Bologna
- University of Paris
- University of Oxford
- University of Vienna
- Collège des Dix-Huit
- Collège de Sorbonne
- University College, Oxford
- Balliol College
- Merton College
- St. Frideswide Priory
- Christ Church, Oxford
- King's College, Cambridge
- University of Cambridge
- The Collector
Locations
- Bologna
- Italy
- Paris
- France
- Oxford
- United Kingdom
- Vienna
- Austria
- Cambridge
- Germany
- Bavaria
- Munich
- Florence
- England