Cultural Roots of the ‘Studio di Padova’’s Attractiveness

Abstract

A reference to the cultural roots of the ‘Studio di Padova’s attractiveness stems from tracing its centuries-old history. The Studio’s international reputation begun with the invention of an imperial tradition in its very foundation, with an idea of continuity between the myth of Athena and the city of Padua, with freedom and tolerance for foreign students in Padua in the second half of the sixteenth century. The exploration of the archives of the fondo Riformatori dello Studio, reread through the critical lens of the Centro per lo Sstudio della storia dell’Università di Padova’s literature made it possible to capture and specify the complexity of these roots. They were not mere rhetorical figures but real cultural forms enhancing the ‘reading doctors’ class prestige and the University’s cultural legitimacy. They were reflected, as well, in the cultural policies of the Republic of Venice. The example of some distinguished students, such as Jan Zamoyski from Poland, together with the royal tradition of France and of the empire, help explain the institutional innovation represented by the creation of special colleges responsible for granting academic degrees by authority of the Republic, also to students who were poor, Jewish, Greek or non-Catholic.