Victorino (1378— 1446) was born in a small village on the southern slope of the Alps. The famous Padua University is not far from his hometown. Padua University was the academic center of Italian humanism at that time. Petrarch, the first humanist, once lived nearby. Before his death, he entrusted his library to this university. Petrarch's students and admirers will gather here to study and teach Latin literature. Victorino was educated in this university and studied under the most famous humanist. After finishing his studies, he went to Venice and established a humanistic school. He was not only a successful humanist educator, but also an erudite Latin scholar and the best mathematician in Italy at that time. This improved the reputation of the humanistic school he founded. Young people from all over Italy come here, and schools are getting more and more prosperous.
At that time, the nobles competed to win over famous scholars and artists. They all want to start their own schools, so that on the one hand, they can cultivate humanistic poets and painters. On the one hand, writers and teachers share the happiness of civilization, on the other hand, they can also make elegant people make a splash in society. In this fashionable pursuit, of course, Marquis Gonchaga of Mondua was unwilling to lag behind, so he hired Vitorino to run a school in his court for many times with high salary.
Victorino applied to come to Mondua, and Gonchaga gave him a house adjacent to the palace as a school building, and approved him to rebuild the court school in Mondua. The original name of this house was "Happy House", and he renamed it "Happy School". According to the requirements of humanistic education, he transformed the school buildings and equipment, which made the school look brand-new. The teaching building is surrounded by a wide sports lawn, and students can walk along the river or tree-lined grassland for entertainment. People can also sit in secluded places to study, think and discuss problems.
In addition to Gonchaga's four sons and one daughter, there are also children from upper-class families from all over Italy and European countries. Some teachers and scholars often visit Victoriano to learn about his teaching methods and his courses. Aristocrats all over Europe regard Mondoria Palace School as the birthplace of humanistic schools. Victorino believes that a school with such a strong aristocratic atmosphere is not the best school. In order to change this situation, he insisted on absorbing the same number of poor children to study. Gonchaga not only met Victor Reno's demands, but also exempted the children of the poor from tuition fees and provided them with food and clothes.
The students range in age from 6 to 27. The study period is about fifteen years, including three stages: primary school, middle school and university. Unlike medieval universities, this school offers general education instead of professional education. The courses taught include three aspects. The first is the traditional classic cultural discipline developed by humanism, including Latin, Greek, grammar, literature, rhetoric, music and history; The second is theology, including the Bible, religious practice and the works of the early godfather, and the third is the seven skills of knights, mainly physical training.
Victorino carried out the principle of humanistic education in the whole teaching process. First, let students learn in an entertaining environment and have fun in learning. Secondly, the school is an intimate family, and students and teachers should live and study in an intimate atmosphere like friends. Victorino often takes a few cheerful students for a walk, chat and study along the winding path around the school. Third, schools are places to train students with good discipline. Teachers should not use abusive and indifferent methods when cultivating students' discipline. Caring for students and respecting teachers is the key to discipline education. Fourth, teach students in accordance with their aptitude. Every student is different, and their personality should be allowed to develop. Teachers should know every student like the back of their hand, give them learning tasks suitable for their interests and abilities, and guide students to develop according to their own nature.
Teachers are the key to carefully implement these educational principles, so teachers are strictly selected. At the same time, the curriculum can not be ignored and must be carefully arranged.
The Mondoria Palace School sponsored by victorino is a new humanistic school, where students and scholars can learn and compete in an atmosphere of mutual respect. It is an ideal educational garden for talents and achievements.
Humanistic school education in Galinaud;
Garinaud (1370— 1460) is a famous Italian humanist educator, contemporary with Vitorino. Marquis Nicolo hired him to run a school in Ferrara. He happily applied for and founded a humanistic Ferrara court school. This school is different from Vitorino's "Happy School". Mondoria Palace School mainly trains gentlemen and masters who can adapt to the political life of the country, while Ferrara Palace School focuses on training students to become literate priests, professors and creators. Ferrara Palace School has great influence in Europe, where young students from Germany, France, Britain and other countries gather. After they completed their studies, they brought Italian humanistic culture and enthusiasm for classical culture to their hometown and sowed the seeds of the Renaissance.
Mondoria Palace and Ferrara Palace are the big dippers of Italian humanities education. Under their guidance, a large number of humanistic schools spread all over Italy and even western European countries like stars. These schools have become the cradle for cultivating humanists and the base for spreading humanistic culture.