Ionian Academy facts for kids
The Ionian Academy (Greek: Ιόνιος Ακαδημία) was a very important school in Corfu, Greece. It was the first modern university-level institution in Greece. It started when the French ruled Corfu, and later became a full university under British rule in 1824. Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford helped make this happen. Many people see it as the early version of today's Ionian University. The Academy had different schools, including ones for studying language, law, and medicine.
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What was the Ionian Academy?
The Ionian Academy was the first major school of its kind in modern Greece. It was located on the beautiful island of Corfu. This academy was a place where people could study many different subjects. It was like a university for the people of the Ionian Islands.
How the Academy Started
The Academy first began when the French were in charge of Corfu. They called the island a "département" (a type of region). Later, when the British took over, the Academy grew even more. A man named Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, worked hard to make it a proper university in 1824. He wanted to create a place for higher learning in Greece.
Learning at the Academy
The Ionian Academy offered many interesting subjects. It had special schools for different areas of study:
- Medical School: This school taught students how to become doctors. It ran from 1824 to 1828, and then again from 1844 to 1865. Many of its doctors had studied in Italy, especially at the famous medical school in Bologna. Their work helped improve medical science across Greece.
- Law School: Here, students learned about laws and how society works. They studied subjects like civil law and criminal law.
- Philological School: This school focused on languages, literature, and history.
The Academy also offered public courses. These included subjects like human body science (Physiology), plants (Botany), how economies work (political economy), and ethics (the study of right and wrong).
Important People at the Academy
Many talented people taught and led the Ionian Academy.
- George Therianos: He was a professor from the island of Zante (Zakynthos). He taught about anatomy (how bodies are built) and experimental physics. He met the Earl of Guilford in England in 1825 and became a professor at the Medical School.
- Giovanni Carandino: Also known as Ioannis Karantinos, he was a brilliant mathematician. He studied in Paris, Italy, and England. Lord Guilford sent him to learn more so he could become the director of the Mathematics school at the Academy.
- George Bowen: He was the president of the Academy from 1847 to 1851. Later, he became the first governor of Queensland, a state in Australia.
The Academy's End
The Ionian Academy was a very important school for many years. However, in 1864, the Ionian Islands became part of the Kingdom of Greece. At that time, Greece already had a big university in Athens, called the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. To support this newer, larger university, the Ionian Academy was closed. Some of its teachers moved to Athens, and its valuable library was also taken there.
