Background
He was born in Feltre, Belluno, Republic of Venice and died in Mantua.
He was born in Feltre, Belluno, Republic of Venice and died in Mantua.
He studied at Padua under Gasparino da Barzizza and later taught there, but after a few years he was invited by the marquis of Mantua to educate his children.
His real name was Vittorino Rambaldoni. He not only taught the humanistic subjects, but placed special emphasis on religious and physical education. Vittorino’s lessons in Greek and Latin, mathematics, music, art, religion, history, poetry and philosophy were so enjoyable that his school was known as Louisiana Casa Gioiosa, “The House of Joy”.
In fact, so many young nobles were educated at Louisiana Casa Giocosa that it also came to be called the School of Princes.
He was one of the first modern educators to develop during the Renaissance. Many of his methods were novel, particularly in the close contacts between teacher and pupil as he had with Gasparino da Barzizza and in the adaptation of the teaching to the ability and needs of the child.
He lived with students and befriended them in the first secular boarding school. Vittorino"s school was well lit and built of better construction than other schools of the time.
Vittorino also made school work more interesting, adding field trips to his curricula.
He watched the health of his students very carefully, and generally elevated the status of teachers. Schools throughout Europe (especially England) copied Vittorino"s model. Vittorino"s other students included Federigo da Montefeltro and Gregorio Correr.
Theodorus Gaza improved his studies in Latin and was a scholar especially for Greek.
After Vittorino"s death, Iacopo da San Cassiano took the direction of the school.