Chronica d'el rei D. Diniz (Vol. II)

In the early thirteenth century, a visionary monarch seeks to lift his realm through learning. King Dinis, praised for his prudence, generosity and love of the Portuguese tongue, gathers his counselors and clergy to discuss the glaring lack of schools in his kingdom. Determined to foster justice and virtue, he proposes the creation of a grand studium in Coimbra, hoping it will bring scholars, arts and sciences to the land and raise the moral stature of his subjects.

The chronicle captures the king’s persuasive appeal, his appeal to divine favor, and the enthusiastic response of his court. It also reveals the papal backing that swiftly follows, granting privileges that make the new institution possible. Listeners will be drawn into the lively debates and the hopeful atmosphere surrounding the birth of Portugal’s first centre of higher learning, a testament to a ruler who believed that knowledge could transform a nation.