Baldus de Ubaldis facts for kids

Baldo degli Ubaldi

Consiliorum, sive responsorum, 1575.

Baldus de Ubaldis (born Baldo degli Ubaldi) was a very important Italian lawyer and teacher. He lived from 1327 to 1400. He was a leading figure in the study of Roman law during the Middle Ages. His ideas helped shape how law was understood and practiced for centuries.

Life of Baldus de Ubaldis

Baldus was born in Perugia, Italy, in 1327. He came from a noble family called the Ubaldi. He started studying law at a very young age. He learned about civil law from a famous teacher named Bartolus de Saxoferrato. Baldus became a doctor of civil law when he was only seventeen years old! He also studied canon law, which is church law.

After finishing his studies, Baldus went to Bologna and taught law there for three years. Then, he became a professor in his hometown of Perugia, where he taught for 33 years. Many students came to learn from him, including Francesco Albergotti. Later, he taught law in other important cities like Pisa, Florence, Padua, and Pavia. These cities had universities that were rivals to Bologna. Baldus passed away in Pavia on April 28, 1400, and was buried in the church of San Francesco.

Baldus was a teacher to many important people. One of his students, Pierre Roger de Beaufort, later became Pope Gregory XI. Another Pope, Pope Urban VI, even asked Baldus to come to Rome in 1380 to help him with legal advice during a difficult time for the church. Two other famous students of Baldus were Cardinal Francesco Zabarella and Paulus Castrensis.

Baldus's Legal Works

Baldus wrote many books and papers about law. He wrote long explanations, called commentaries, on important Roman law books like the Pandects and the Codex Justinianus. He also wrote a very good commentary on the Libri Feudorum, which was a collection of laws about feudalism (a system where land was exchanged for loyalty and service). He also wrote about church laws.

Besides these commentaries, Baldus wrote special papers on different legal topics. But his biggest work was writing about 3,000 consilia. These were like legal opinions or advice he gave to people who asked him questions about the law. No other lawyer from the Middle Ages wrote as many of these legal opinions as Baldus did.

Baldus's work on how to use evidence in court was very important. He wrote about how different types of proof should be weighed. His ideas on evidence were considered the best for many centuries.

Key Publications by Baldus

• De syndicatu officialium (About the duties of officials)
• De duobus fratribus (About two brothers)
• De significatione verborum (About the meaning of words)
• De pace Constantiae (About the Peace of Constance)
• De feudis (About feudal law)
• Summula respiciens facta mercatorum (A summary about merchant dealings)
• Commentaria in digestum vetus, published in 1549.
• Consiliorum sive responsorum, published in 1575.

Baldus's Family

Baldus had two brothers named Angelus (who lived from 1328 to 1400) and Petrus (who lived from 1335 to 1400). Sometimes, people get Baldus and his brother Petrus mixed up. This is why Baldus's name is sometimes incorrectly written as Petrus Baldus de Ubaldis.

Images for kids

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  Lectura feudorum, a 15th-century manuscript.

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  Gravestone of Baldus, from about 1400, at the University of Pavia.

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  Baldus de Ubaldis shown on the title page of a book by Benvenutus Stracca, published in 1671.

See also

In Spanish: Baldo degli Ubaldi para niños