Petrus Paulus Vergerius was a well known scholar and educator who traveled between Northern Europe and Italy. One of his most famous works is actually a letter Vergerius wrote to Ubertunus (son of the Lord of Padua). In this letter, Vergerius states his recommendations in terms of the disciplines in the medieval liberal arts curriculum including the trivium and the quadrivium. For reference, the trivium refers to rhetoric, grammar, and logic while the quadrivium refers to the studies of astronomy, arithmetic, music and geometry. That being stated, in this letter Vergerius also placed an emphasis on the studies of humanity and moral philosophy. With a combination of these studies, it allows one to personally and scholarly grow and become more virtuous and wise overall. In addition, Vergerius also makes the following notes regarding the medieval liberal arts curriculum. Firstly, he outlined knowledge and its function in education, stating that knowledge serves a purpose to enhance one’s self and future, aiding one in reaching their potential. Secondly, he notes that education is vital for everyone and that everyone deserves the opportunity to be educated. Along with this, he mentions that although some people are naturally gifted, everyone deserves an education. In addition, he states his belief that children should be exposed to the liberal arts at an early age as children are more easily influenced and shaped in comparison to adults. Yet, his overall message remains that expanding one’s knowledge in the liberal arts was an achievement of a lifetime and is the key to success in the future.
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