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Which subjects were included in the studia humanitatis?
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Renaissance
Last Supper, wall painting by Leonardo da Vinci, 1495â98, after its restoration was completed in 1999; in Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
During the Renaissance, the studia humanitatisâa curriculum of secular literary and scholarly activitiesâwas central to the humanist educational program. As defined by 15th-century Italian humanists, this course of study primarily consisted of the following subjects:
- Grammar123
- Rhetoric123
- Poetry123
- History123
- Moral philosophy123
In addition to these core disciplines, the program emphasized the mastery of Classical Latin and, increasingly, Greek. These studies were intended to foster eloquence and wisdom, drawing on Classical models to encourage a critical and historical consciousness that would prepare individuals for active participation in public life. While the curriculum focused on these specific areas, it also occasionally incorporated elements of music and mathematics.142