Editing Montpellier (section)

===History===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2022}}
The [[University of Montpellier]] is one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1160, and having been granted a charter in 1220 by Cardinal [[Conrad von Urach]] and confirmed by [[Pope Nicholas IV]] in a [[papal bull]] of 1289. It was suppressed during the [[French Revolution]] but was re-established in 1896.

It is not known exactly at what date the schools of literature were founded which developed into the Montpellier faculty of arts; it may be that they were a direct continuation of the [[Gallo-Roman]] schools. The school of law was founded by [[Placentinus]], a doctor from [[Bologna University]], who came to Montpellier in 1160, taught there during two different periods, and died there in 1192. With regard to the school of medicine, there were excellent physicians at Montpellier. The statutes given in 1220 by Cardinal Conrad, legate of [[Honorius III]], which were completed in 1240 by Pierre de Conques, placed this school under the direction of the [[Bishop of Maguelonne]]. [[Pope Nicholas IV]] issued a Bull in 1289, combining all the schools into a university, which was placed under the direction of the bishop, but which in fact enjoyed a large measure of autonomy.

Theology was at first taught in the convents, in which [[St. Anthony of Padua]], [[Raymond Lullus]], and the Dominican [[Bernard of Trilia|Bernard de la Treille]] lectured. Two letters of King John prove that a faculty of theology existed at Montpellier independently of the convents, in January 1350. By a Bull of 17 December 1421, [[Pope Martin V|Martin V]] granted canonical institution to this faculty and united it closely with the faculty of law. In the 16th century the faculty of theology disappeared for a time, when [[Calvinism]], in the reign of [[Henry II of France]], held complete possession of the city. It resumed its functions after [[Louis XIII]] had reestablished the royal power at Montpellier in 1622; but the rivalries of [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]] and [[Jesuits]] interfered seriously with the prosperity of the faculty, which disappeared at the Revolution. The faculty numbered among its illustrious pupils of law [[Petrarch]], who spent four years at Montpellier, and among its lecturers [[Guillaume de Nogaret]], chancellor to [[Philip IV of France|Philip the Fair]], [[Guillaume de Grimoard]], afterwards pope under the name of Urban V, and [[Pedro de Luna]], [[antipope]] as Benedict XIII. But after the 15th century this faculty fell into decay, as did also the faculty of arts, although for a time, under [[Henry IV of France]], the latter faculty had among its lecturers [[Isaac Casaubon]].

The Montpellier school of medicine owed its success to the ruling of the Guilhems, lords of the town, by which any licensed physician might lecture there; there was no fixed limit to the number of teachers, lectures were multiplied, and there was a great wealth of teaching. [[Rabelais]] took his medical degrees at Montpellier. It was in this school that the biological theory of [[vitalism]], elaborated by [[Paul Joseph Barthez|Barthez]] (1734–1806), had its origin. The French Revolution did not interrupt the existence of the faculty of medicine.

The faculties of science and of letters were re-established in 1810; that of law in 1880. It was on the occasion of the sixth centenary of the university, celebrated in 1889, that the Government of France announced its intention—which has since been realized—of reorganizing the provincial universities in France.