Cathedral School of Vilnius
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral School of Vilnius was a cathedral school
attached to the Vilnius Cathedral
. It is believed to be the earliest school in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. For about a hundred years it was the only Catholic school in Vilnius (possibly due to a royal privilege prohibiting establishment of other schools). The cathedral school was merged with Vilnius Academy (now Vilnius University
), established by the Jesuits in 1570.
The exact date of its establishment is unknown, but it must be sometime between the Christianization of Lithuania
in 1386 and school's first mention in written sources on May 9, 1397. It was initially a primary school, evolving into a secondary school
by the first half of the 15th century. Most likely the school taught trivium and quadrivium
and catered to church needs educating lower clergy. In 1522, Bishop Jan expanded the school to three classes and introduced courses in rhetoric
, dialectics, classical literature, arithmetic, music. The students studied Distichs of Cato
and Ars grammatica
by Aelius Donatus
. In 1539, the school had twelve boys who sang in a church choir and twenty boys who served as altar boys. During its existence, the school prepared over 100 students who later pursued academic careers at the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
.
Cathedral school
Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools...
attached to the Vilnius Cathedral
Vilnius Cathedral
The Cathedral of Vilnius is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania.It is situated in Vilnius Old Town, just off of Cathedral Square. It is the heart of Lithuania's Catholic spiritual life....
. It is believed to be the earliest school in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. For about a hundred years it was the only Catholic school in Vilnius (possibly due to a royal privilege prohibiting establishment of other schools). The cathedral school was merged with Vilnius Academy (now Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
), established by the Jesuits in 1570.
The exact date of its establishment is unknown, but it must be sometime between the Christianization of Lithuania
Christianization of Lithuania
The Christianization of Lithuania – Christianization of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that took place in 1387, initiated by the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila and his cousin Vytautas, that signified the official adoption of Christianity by Lithuanians, one of the last pagan...
in 1386 and school's first mention in written sources on May 9, 1397. It was initially a primary school, evolving into a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
by the first half of the 15th century. Most likely the school taught trivium and quadrivium
Quadrivium
The quadrivium comprised the four subjects, or arts, taught in medieval universities, after teaching the trivium. The word is Latin, meaning "the four ways" , and its use for the 4 subjects has been attributed to Boethius or Cassiodorus in the 6th century...
and catered to church needs educating lower clergy. In 1522, Bishop Jan expanded the school to three classes and introduced courses in rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
, dialectics, classical literature, arithmetic, music. The students studied Distichs of Cato
Distichs of Cato
The Distichs of Cato , is a Latin collection of proverbial wisdom and morality by an unknown author named Dionysius Cato from the 3rd or 4th century AD. The Cato was the most popular medieval schoolbook for teaching Latin, prized not only as a Latin textbook, but as a moral compass...
and Ars grammatica
Ars grammatica
An Ars grammatica is a generic or proper title for surveys of Latin Grammar.Extant works known as Ars grammatica have been written by*Aelius Donatus*Maurus Servius Honoratus*Diomedes Grammaticus*Charisius*Pseudo-Remmius Palaemon...
by Aelius Donatus
Aelius Donatus
Aelius Donatus was a Roman grammarian and teacher of rhetoric. The only fact known regarding his life is that he was the tutor of St...
. In 1539, the school had twelve boys who sang in a church choir and twenty boys who served as altar boys. During its existence, the school prepared over 100 students who later pursued academic careers at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.