What was the most important place of learning during the middle ages?

Answer 1

During the Middle Ages, the Church ran monastic schools and cathedral schools in Western Europe. Later, some of the medieval universities were also run by the Church.

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Answer 2

There were a number of these, and they changed a lot during the thousand years when the Middle Ages lasted.

One that was of outstanding importance was Constantinople, the old capitol of the Roman Empire, and, during the Middle Ages still the capitol of a country that called itself the Empire of the Roman People, but which we call the Byzantine Empire. This remained a center of learning throughout the time, though its importance declined as it was taken by crusaders, who did much to ruin it, and continued its decline after that as it faced pressure from the Turks.

Another are of early importance was Northumbria, and other areas of northern Britain and Ireland, where classical Latin education was protected by monasteries. The monasteries of Lindisfarne and Iona were of particular importance, and later Kells in Ireland. When Charlemagne decided to improve the literacy of France, he sent for highly skilled monks, trained in classical language and though, from this area, Alcuin being an example, and this led to what is termed the Carolingian Renaissance. England, under the guidance of Alfred the Great, went into a similar period, as did Germany in the Ottonian Renaissance.

When Spain was invaded by Arabs and Moors, one result was the destruction of the Visigothic kingdom that ruled the area. Another was an increasing of knowledge and learning resulting from Jewish philosophers and physicians, Arab scientists and mathematicians, and Christian lawyers and clerics all being together. By the tenth century, Spain was an important leader in education, and it retained that position until the 1492, when the Emirate of Grenada was destroyed. Ferdinand and Isabella completed the conquest of Spain, but they also expelled the Muslims and Jews, and act that destroyed the intellectual future of their nation.

The crusades and the coming of the High Middle Ages (1000 to 1300 AD) brought the universities into being. Beginning with the University of Bologna in 1088, Universities were established all over Europe. Twenty universities were founded in Italy alone, before 1500, and a total of seventy in Europe. Paris, Bologna, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Heidelberg, Oxford, and Cambridge are all examples of universities dating from this period, when the centers of learning became distributed throughout Europe.

In terms of faith, it can be said that in the beginning the church had more importance, and as time passed it had less. The oldest school in England was founded in Canterbury in 596 AD, and was for a very long time entirely under the control of the church. But the secularizing of education began early on, and increased with the passing of time. The oldest state run school in England dates from 700 AD. The university movement was impelled by secular interests to a large degree, and though the early titles granted by the universities were controlled by the church, they were quickly transferred to the universities themselves, as in 1219, when the pope granted the University of Paris an independent right to award doctor's degrees. But in general, throughout the Middle Ages, all centers of learning provided education in religion.

Answer 3

There is a view among historians that churches or monasteries were the most important places of education. I would not wish to be quite so simplistic. There were many important places of education in Europe during the Middle Ages, including such things as state-run and private schools. In fact, one of the oldest schools in the world was originally opened by Anglo Saxons as a state-run school, and was maintained as such by Vikings for the decades they controlled the area it was in. More about this can be found at the link to the related question below, "What was medieval education like?"

During the Early Middle Ages, the single most important place of learning in Europe was probably the University of Constantinople, which had been founded in the year 425 by the Roman Emperor Theodisius II. It remained important through nearly the entire time of the Middle Ages.

Western universities began opening in 1088 with the University of Bologna. Other important western universities included the University of Paris, which opened in the middle of the 12th century, and the Cambridge University, which opened in the early 13th century. There were several dozen universities open in Western Europe by the time the Middle Ages ended.

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Answer 4

There were several but one the prime ones was Florence, Italy. Here, the Medici family ran the city-state, there was a university, it was a trading center, banking center, and was a religious center.

Answer 5

Monastaries

Answer 6

the church