Humanism and Education in Medieval and Renaissance Italy

Focusing on the curriculum of school education in medieval and Renaissance Italy, this study reveals that continuity and conservatism dominated teaching practices rather than innovation. Analyzing over 500 manuscript school books, Robert Black highlights a peak in classical text studies during the twelfth century, followed by a decline in the thirteenth century due to the rise of universities. The resurgence of humanist influence on education only began in the late 1400s, challenging established beliefs about education and the history of ideas.