Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico facts for kids
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Real y Pontificia Universidad de México
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Coat of arms of the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico
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| Motto | Patriae scientiae que amor salus populi est |
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Motto in English
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Love of the homeland and of knowledge is the health of the people |
| Active | 21 September 1551–1865 |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Location | , |
| Campus | Urban |
The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico (Spanish: Real y Pontificia Universidad de México) was a very old university. It was started on September 21, 1551. King Charles I of Spain signed a special paper called a Royal Decree to create it. This happened in Valladolid, Spain.
Many people believe this was the first university in North America. It was the second in all of the Americas. The National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, started a little earlier in the same year.
After Mexico became independent from Spain, the university's name changed. It was simply called the University of Mexico.
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Why Did the University Close?
During the 1800s, Mexico had different leaders. Some leaders, called liberals, wanted the government to control education. They did not want the Catholic Church to be in charge of schools. Because of this, the university was closed several times.
Its first closure was in 1833. A leader named Valentín Gómez Farías made new rules. But when Antonio López de Santa Anna became leader again, he reopened the university. It was finally closed for good in 1865. This happened during a time when Maximilian I of Mexico was in charge of Mexico.
Even after it closed, some parts of the university continued. For example, its law and medicine schools kept going. Other new schools also started, similar to special schools in France.
Later, a new public university was created in Mexico City. This was the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), founded in 1910. UNAM is a state-run university. It sees itself as the modern version of the old University of Mexico. Today, the Pontifical University of Mexico is the only Catholic university of its kind in Mexico.
How Was the University Organized?
The university had five main study areas, called faculties. These were:
- Theology (the study of religion)
- Canon Law (church laws)
- Civil Law (country laws)
- Medicine (health and healing)
- Arts (like philosophy and general studies)
The main classes were called Prima and Vísperas. Prima classes were in the morning, and Vísperas were in the evening. The university gave out different types of degrees. These included bachiller (bachelor), licenciado (graduate), maestro (master), and doctor (doctor).
Who Studied Here?
Many important people studied at the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. Here are a few:
- Bartolomé de Alva: A church leader who translated texts into the Nahuatl language.
- Joseph A. Lopez: A priest who later became the president of Georgetown University.
- Agustín Dávila Padilla: A writer who recorded the history of the Dominican Order.
Who Taught Here?
The university also had famous teachers and leaders:
- Juan José Eguiara y Eguren: A bishop and smart scholar who was in charge of the university as its rector.
- Francisco Cervantes de Salazar: A well-known writer who was rector twice when the university was new.
- Alonso Gutiérrez: A philosopher and historian from the Augustinian order.
- Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora: A famous mapmaker, historian, and thinker from the late 1600s.
See also
In Spanish: Real y Pontificia Universidad de México para niños
- List of colonial universities in Latin America
- UNAM
- Pontifical University of Mexico
