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Middle Ages Research

UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA

Origin and History

In 1088, a group of students established the first university in Europe called the “University of Bologna” (University of Bologna, n.d.-a). Because the students set up the university in Italy, Grendler (2004) claims that they had to possess a papal or imperial charter for them to be able to give away licenses or degrees to students of the university. In addition, he also states that the university needed to have law, arts, and medicine in the curriculum before they could be authorized. Hence, they accomplished these requirements to put the university in place.

Impact During That Time

University of Bologna’s popularity grew among foreigners due to the information it provided about civil and canon law (Grendler, 2004). The university’s primary objective was to teach individuals about the Digest, a vital text about Roman Law. As a result, it was known by numerous people in Europe for teaching canon and civil law (Berman, 1985). Furthermore, since many international students began entering the university, students had to inevitably form an association to enact specific legal rights for the international students who barely had any legal existence (Grendler, 2004). Although the state was supposed to punish international students due to the debts and crimes their people have committed, Grendler (2004) argues that some rules protected them because they brought large amounts of revenue to the university. However, the university still categorized them by their nationalities (Grendler, 2004). Overall, it benefited humanity because it educated countless people from different areas in Europe.

Impact on the Future

One of the most significant contributions of the University of Bologna was its successful graduates or lecturers that contributed to different scientific fields. For instance, Lauri Bassi, a graduate and a lecturer at the University of Bologna, was essential in popularizing Newtonian Mechanics in Italy (Findlen, 1993). Furthermore, a pioneer in the field of electromagnetism, Augusto Righi, was a professor at the university (Paresce, 2013). Like Righi, the founder of plastic surgery,  Gaspare Tagliacozzi, went to the University of Bologna to teach (Ménard, 2019). Lastly, Nicolaus Copernicus, the scientist responsible for formulating the Heliocentric theory, was a student at the university (University of Bologna, n.d.-b).

PRINTING PRESS

Origin and History

According to De Vinne (2016), the origins of the first printing press are still unclear. He states that several authors have biased portrayals when writing about the origins of the printing press because they aim to satisfy their national pride. Nonetheless, the most ancient record of printed text came from China (History.com Editors, 2023). However, the procedure for printing in China is less efficient than its European counterpart because they refuse to utilize the improvements made by the Europeans (De Vinne, 2016). Lastly, different traders spread Gutenberg’s method of printing throughout Europe. It went from Germany to Spain, Italy, Paris, and England (History.com Editors, 2023).

Impact During That Time

History.com Editors (2023) have found that Bi Sheng’s contribution to printing helped increase the number of books in China from around 1127 to 1279 A.D. They also found that it produced a new scholarly citizen class that allowed some citizens to be civil servants; accordingly, having a vast collection of books became a status symbol. In 1297, Wang Chen, the Ching-te magistrate, revamped the printing system and printed a treatise on farming practices called “Nung Shu” (History.com Editors, 2023). Therefore, promoting agricultural information during that period. Nung Shu also became the world’s first mass-produced book (History.com Editors, 2023).

The printing press was a potent threat to the power structures in Europe because of its potential to spread information on a faster and more significant scale than other forms of communicating during that time. Consequently, Pope Alexander VI guaranteed to punish anyone who printed documents without approval from the Church (History.com Editors, 2023). Nevertheless, Roos (2022) claims that Martin Luther published a written work that questioned the Church. Although the Church attempted to censor and destroy his books, the explosion of the printing press during that time helped preserve his books (Roos, 2022).

Impact on the Future

Relation published the first official newspapers in 1605, resulting in better access to information even for non-wealthy individuals (History.com Editors, 2023). Thus, education and literacy grew during that period. There were initially still a considerable number of illiterate people (Roos, 2022). However, they would visit the pub to listen to a paid reader deliver the news (Roos, 2022).

Historical scholarship greatly benefited from the printing press (Eisenstein, 2013). During the Renaissance, they employed it to preserve and revive classical texts from ancient Rome and Greece (Roos, 2022). Furthermore, it was also beneficial in the field of science. For example, Nicolaus Copernicus used a printed book to view tables of planetary movement while working on his Heliocentric theory (Roos, 2022). The printing press also assisted in bringing alternative opinions that challenged authorities or people with power. Hence, it could inspire revolutions such as the Philippine Revolution. When Jose Rizal printed and published his novel, he inspired Andres Bonifacio and other Filipinos, indirectly leading to the Philippine Revolution (Schumacher, 1991).

References

  1. Berman, H. J. (1985). Law and Revolution. Harvard University Press.
  2. De Vinne, T. (2016). The Invention of Printing [EBook]. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/51034/pg51034-images.html
  3. Eisenstein, E. L. (2013). The Printing Press as an Agent of Change. Cambridge University Press.
  4. Findlen, P. (1993). Science as a Career in Enlightenment Italy: The Strategies of Laura Bassi. Isis, 84(3), 441–469. https://doi.org/10.1086/356547
  5. Grendler, P. F. (2004). The Universities of the Italian Renaissance. Amsterdam University Press.
  6. History.com Editors. (2023, January 25). Printing Press. HISTORY. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/printing-press
  7. Ménard, S. (2019). An Unknown Renaissance Portrait of Tagliacozzi (1545–1599), the Founder of Plastic Surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open, 7(1), e2006. https://doi.org/10.1097/gox.0000000000002006
  8. Paresce, F. (2013). Augusto Righi. Fondazione Guglielmo Marconi. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.fgm.it/en/marconi-en/profiles/augusto-righi.html
  9. Roos, D. (2022, November 18). 7 Ways the Printing Press Changed the World. HISTORY. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.history.com/news/printing-press-renaissance
  10. Schumacher, J. (1991). The Making of a Nation: Essays on Nineteenth-Century Filipino Nationalism. (3rd ed.). Ateneo de Manila University Press.
  11. University of Bologna. (n.d.-a). Nine centuries of history. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.unibo.it/en/university/who-we-are/our-history/nine-centuries-of-history/nine-centuries-of-history
  12. University of Bologna. (n.d.-b). Studying at University of Bologna. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://corsi.unibo.it/2cycle/team/studying-at-university-of-bologna

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