Collège de Montaigu

The Collège de Montaigu was one of the constituent colleges of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Paris. The college, originally called the Collège des Aicelins, was founded in 1314 by Giles Aicelin, the Archbishop of Rouen. It changed its name after it had been restored by his relative Pierre Aicelin de Montaigu, the Bishop of Nevers and Laon.

In 1483 Jan Standonck became Master of the College and made it prosper. Under the his leadership and that of his disciple Noël Béda, Montaigu was one of the leading theological colleges of Paris. Students at the college included Erasmus of Rotterdam, John Calvin, and Ignatius of Loyola (before moving to Collège de Sainte-Barbe). Other notable students were the influential portuguese teacher and diplomat Diogo de Gouveia and philosopher John Mair (who went on to teach theology there) and John Knox, the Scottish reformer.

Erasmus's memories of the College

In his Colloquies Erasmus left a memoire of his time at the College under Standonck. Erasmus was a privileged paying student, but his memories were not pleasant.