The Growth of Schools in European Cities
There were private schools in the “learned” cities, first in Bologna, then in Montpellier, Toulouse, and Orleans in France, in Palencia and Lerida in Spain, and in Padua, Reggio, and Vercelli in Italy.
These schools might have a very long life, as in Bologna, Padua, Naples, Rome, and Perugia, or a short one, as in Vicenza, Arezzo, and Ver- celli. Such schools might be recognized by the public authorities or not; they could be set up and organized as part of a studium, or their precarious existence could be left to chance.A student chose which school he wanted to join. Originally (in the twelfth century) his choice might be determined by streams of relatives, friends, or fellow countrymen; on the other hand, it might be
The University and the Ius commune 117 an individual decision influenced by the ill-advised faith he placed in the advice of tavernkeepers, merchants, or prostitutes. In a later period (the thirteenth century and after), the choice was more predetermined—as was the case in Paris—or at least partially inevitable thanks to decisions made within the powerful student corporations that applied to all students.
The general pattern of post-secondary academic life was already set by the turn of the thirteenth century. In the early decades of the twelfth century, competition was restricted to the famous and well- frequented private schools of Bologna; by the end of the twelfth century and the beginning of the thirteenth, many cities were eager to attract schools and welcome students, and they did so: Modena by around 1180; Vicenza for some years between 1204 and 1208; Arezzo by around 1215; Padua from 1222 on (with phases Ofinactivity and silence); Naples after 1224 (with frequent interruptions and new beginnings); Vercelli, for a short time after 1228, thanks to an organized migration of students from Padua; then Rome, in the pontifical curia (Studium Curiae) and in the city (Studium Urbis), Reggio Emilia, San Gimignano, Siena, Perugia, and others.
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