University of Baeza
Encyclopedia
The University of Baeza was a university in Baeza
in the old Kingdom of Jaén
, Spain
. Established in 1538, it existed until 1824. The surviving university building was built in 1595.
of Paul III
. Its first rector was Saint John of Avila
.After successfully fending off an attempt in 1585 by the Augustinians
to establish a rival university, in 1630, Pope Urban VIII
granted it the status of a pontifical university
, upon the demise of the university in nearby Jaén.
The curriculum included liberal arts
, medicine
, and theology
. Founded by notary
Rodrigo López, a relative of Pope Paul III, the school had important early participation from so-called New Christian
s—bourgeois Jews who had converted to Christianity
rather than leave Spain—as well as from the Jesuits
and the Carmelites
; Saint John of the Cross
participated in prayer seminars there.
In terms of the battles over theology, the University of Baeza in its early years was distinctly on the modernizing side. Between its alumbrado
mysticism
and the Jewish ancestry of many of its faculty (including rector John of Avila), the university aroused the suspicions of the Spanish Inquisition
. Many of its most popular faculty faced the Inquisition. While Hernán Núñez, Hernando de Herrera, Diego Pérez de Valdivia and Bernardino de Carleval all escaped any formal conviction, the Inquisition effectively ended all of their careers, as they spent large portions of their lives entangled in its processes. Bernardino de Carleval was forced to formally recant a statement that the Jews were not responsible for the crucifixion
of Jesus
.
Eventually, both the city and university went into a long decline, as did all urban settlements in the province of Jaén. The province increasingly became a rural backwater, a pattern that continued until quite recent times. The local aristocracy
became absentees, at court in Madrid
or living in other major Spanish cities, investing their wealth there rather than in Jaén and Baeza; the textile industry that had been the basis of local wealth went into a particular decline. Teaching at the university ossified, and an 1807 decree abolished the university. There was a brief, and rather weak, revival in 1815, followed by the definitive abolition of the university in 1824.
In 1979, university-level education in Baeza was revived with the establishment of a "summer university", originally affiliated with the University of Granada
and, since 1994, with the International University of Andalusia. The program is now known as the Antonio Machado
Summer University, after the Spanish poet who lived for a time in the city.
The old building of the University of Baeza is now used by the Instituto "Stma. Trinidad" ("Holy Trinity"), which describes itself as the "cultural heir of the old university of Baeza". They have revived and, to some degree, updated such facilities as the university library and some of its halls, and supplement the Renaissance
-era building with modern sports facilities and present-day technologies.
Baeza
Baeza is a town of approximately 16,200 inhabitants in Andalusia, Spain, in the province of Jaén, perched on a cliff in the Loma de Baeza, a mountain range between the river Guadalquivir on the south and its tributary the Guadalimar on the north. It is chiefly known today as having many of the...
in the old Kingdom of Jaén
Kingdom of Jaén
The Kingdom of Jaén was a territorial jurisdiction of the Crown of Castile from the time it was won from Muslim rule in 1246 during the Reconquista until Javier de Burgos' provincial division of Spain in 1833...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Established in 1538, it existed until 1824. The surviving university building was built in 1595.
History
The University of Baeza was established in 1538 by a papal bullPapal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
. Its first rector was Saint John of Avila
John of Avila
Saint John of Ávila, Apostle of Andalusia was a Roman Catholic priest, Spanish preacher, scholastic author, religious mystic and saint...
.After successfully fending off an attempt in 1585 by the Augustinians
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
to establish a rival university, in 1630, Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
granted it the status of a pontifical university
Pontifical university
A pontifical university is a Catholic University established by and directly under the authority of the Holy See. It is licensed to grant academic degrees in sacred faculties, the most important of which are Sacred Theology, Canon Law, Sacred Scripture and...
, upon the demise of the university in nearby Jaén.
The curriculum included liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. Founded by notary
Notary
A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
Rodrigo López, a relative of Pope Paul III, the school had important early participation from so-called New Christian
New Christian
New Christian was a term used to refer to Iberian Jews and Muslims who converted to Roman Catholicism, and their known baptized descendants. The term was introduced by the Old Christians of Iberia who wanted to distinguish themselves from the conversos...
s—bourgeois Jews who had converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
rather than leave Spain—as well as from the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
and the Carmelites
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
; Saint John of the Cross
John of the Cross
John of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile....
participated in prayer seminars there.
In terms of the battles over theology, the University of Baeza in its early years was distinctly on the modernizing side. Between its alumbrado
Alumbrados
The Alumbrados was a term used to loosely describe practitioners of a mystical form of Christianity in Spain during the 15th-16th centuries. Some alumbrados were only mildly heterodox, but others held views that were clearly heretical...
mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and the Jewish ancestry of many of its faculty (including rector John of Avila), the university aroused the suspicions of the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
. Many of its most popular faculty faced the Inquisition. While Hernán Núñez, Hernando de Herrera, Diego Pérez de Valdivia and Bernardino de Carleval all escaped any formal conviction, the Inquisition effectively ended all of their careers, as they spent large portions of their lives entangled in its processes. Bernardino de Carleval was forced to formally recant a statement that the Jews were not responsible for the crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
Eventually, both the city and university went into a long decline, as did all urban settlements in the province of Jaén. The province increasingly became a rural backwater, a pattern that continued until quite recent times. The local aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
became absentees, at court in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
or living in other major Spanish cities, investing their wealth there rather than in Jaén and Baeza; the textile industry that had been the basis of local wealth went into a particular decline. Teaching at the university ossified, and an 1807 decree abolished the university. There was a brief, and rather weak, revival in 1815, followed by the definitive abolition of the university in 1824.
In 1979, university-level education in Baeza was revived with the establishment of a "summer university", originally affiliated with the University of Granada
University of Granada
The University of Granada is a public university located in Granada, Spain that enrolls approximately 80,000 students. The university also has campuses in Ceuta and Melilla. Every year, over 2,000 European students enroll in the UGR through the Erasmus Programme, making it the most popular...
and, since 1994, with the International University of Andalusia. The program is now known as the Antonio Machado
Antonio Machado
Antonio Cipriano José María y Francisco de Santa Ana Machado y Ruiz, known as Antonio Machado was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of '98....
Summer University, after the Spanish poet who lived for a time in the city.
The old building of the University of Baeza is now used by the Instituto "Stma. Trinidad" ("Holy Trinity"), which describes itself as the "cultural heir of the old university of Baeza". They have revived and, to some degree, updated such facilities as the university library and some of its halls, and supplement the Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
-era building with modern sports facilities and present-day technologies.