Welcome to the website of the Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae

Contact information
History of the Seminarium
Research
Courses
Activities

Contact information

Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae
Erasmushuis
Blijde-Inkomststraat 21
B-3000 Leuven
Belgium
Tel.: +32 16 324908
Fax: +32 16 324909

History of the Seminarium

The study of Neo-Latin at the K.U.Leuven has a long tradition. Professor Henry de Vocht (1878-1962), an expert in English literature and the history of humanism, especially in Brabant, was one of the first who made an enormous contribution. His book De invloed van Erasmus op de Engelsche tooneelliteratuur der XVIe en XVIIe eeuwen (The Influence of Erasmus on English play-writing in the 16th and 17th century), published in 1908, received an award from the Royal Flemish Academy. De Vocht started the series Humanistica Lovaniensia (then a series of monographs on the history of humanism at Louvain) in 1928, was involved in major exhibitions on Erasmus and Juan Luis Vives and taught a course on "History of Humanism" at K.U. Leuven from 1937 onwards. Professor M.A. Nauwelaerts (1908-1983) stepped into de Vocht's footsteps. He published on medieval and renaissance education, Rodolphus Agricola, Desiderius Erasmus and Justus Lipsius.

Jozef IJsewijn (1932-1998), who was a student of De Vocht and later on professor at K.U. Leuven, is considered to be one of the leading figures in Neo-Latin Studies of the last century. IJsewijn founded the Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae in 1966, intended as a research group for the study of literary works and documents written in Latin worldwide from the 14th century to the present. Thanks to the founder’s indefatigable efforts, the Seminarium has become one of the leading centres in the field of Humanism and Modern Latin. In 1971, the first International Congress for Neo-Latin Studies was held in Louvain, leading to the foundation of the International Association for Neo-Latin Studies, of which IJsewijn became the first president. IJsewijn was also the author of the Companion to Neo-Latin Studies (first edited in 1977), the widely acclaimed and indispensable introduction to Neo-Latin literature. A second, entirely rewritten edition of the Companion came out in 1990 (vol. 1) and 1998 (vol. 2, in collaboration with D. Sacré).

To this day, the Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae can rejoice in students who follow the courses on Medieval and Renaissance Latin, as well as in visiting scholars who are eager to come to Louvain and spend time at the Seminarium and its library. In this way, the hope and expectation expressed by Prof. Dr. G. Tournoy in the preface to Ut granum sinapis - Essays on Neo-Latin Literature in Honour of Jozef IJsewijn (1997), seem to be justified:

"... it is our hope and our expectation - if we can count upon the loyal help of all collaborators - that the life-work of Jozef IJsewijn, this 'centre of excellence' as it is called, can continue to grow into the next millenium and beyond."

Prof. Dr. Jozef IJsewijn (1932-1998)
Founder of the Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae

Mgr. Henry de Vocht (1878-1962)

Research

We refer to the personal files of the individual members and affiliated scholars of the Seminarium for more information on their individual research interests and publications.

In this section, we indicate specific topics of interest and refer to a small selection of most important publications by members of the Seminarium in this field.

Finally, the recently concluded and on-going PhD-projects are listed.

Specific topics of interest

- Epistolography of the Early Modern Times: The Correspondence of 15th-, 16th- and 17th-century humanists as Vives, Erasmus, Lipsius, ...

* G. Tournoy, 'De brieven van Juan Luis Vives uitgegeven door Simon Verepaeus', in: Festschrift Elly Cockx-Indestege, ed. F. Hendrickx e.a., 3 vols (Leuven: Peeters, 2004), II, 349-361
* Iusti Lipsi Epistolae. Pars VIII (1595), ed. J. De Landtsheer, Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten (Brussel: Paleis der Academieën, 2005)
* T. Van Houdt - J. Papy - G. Tournoy - C. Matheeussen (eds.), Self-Presentation and Social Identification. The Rhetoric and Pragmatics of Letter Writing in Early Modern Times, Supplementa Humanistica Lovaniensia XVIII (Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2002)
* Pas-de-deux in stilte. De briefwisseling tussen Desiderius Erasmus en Paus Adrianus VI (1522-1523). Vertaald door M. Verweij (Rotterdam: Ad. Donker, 2002)
* Erasmus: een portret in brieven. Vertaald en bezorgd door J. Papy, M. van der Poel & D. Sacré (Amsterdam: Boom, 2001)
* Iusti Lipsi Epistolae. Pars XIII (1600), ed. J. Papy, Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten (Brussel: Paleis der Academieën, 2000)

- Relations between Flemish and European Humanism

* G. Tournoy, 'Gli umanisti italiani nell'università di Lovanio nel Quattrocento', in Luisa Rotondi Secchi Tarugi (ed.), Rapporti e scambi: tra umanesimo italiano ed umanesimo europeo, Istituto di Studi Umanistici Francesco Petrarca, Mentis itinerarium, Caleidoscopio, 10 (Milano: Nuovi Orizzonti, 2001), pp. 39-50
* J. De Landtsheer, 'Justus Lipsius's De Cruce and the Reception of the Fathers', Neulateinisches Jahrbuch, 2 (2000), 97-122

- Neo-Latin poetry (16th century - present)

* G. Tournoy, 'Pietro Bonomo e il primo epitalamio stampato nei Paesi Bassi', Studi Umanistici Piceni, 23 (2003),191-207
* D. Sacré, Musa superstes. De poesi saeculi XXi Latina schediasma (Romae, Academia Belgica, 2001)
* Carmina nunc quoque Romanis resonantia chordis: flores Latini ex horto poesis hodiernae selecti, ed. D. Sacré, KUL. Campus Kortrijk. Subfaculteit Letteren. Preprints 97 (Kortrijk, 2001)
* Musae saeculi XX latinae – Acta Selecta Conventus patrocinantibus ‘Academia Latinitati Fovendae’ atque ‘Instituto Historico Belgico in Urbe’ Romae in Academia Belgica anno MMI habiti, edenda quae curaverunt Theodoricus Sacré et Iosephus Tusiani, iuvante Thoma Deneire, Belgisch Historisch Instituut te Rome Bibliotheek LVIII (Brussel - Rome: Belgisch Historisch Instituut te Rome, 2006).

- Jesuitica in the Netherlands

* J. Papy, 'Some Unpublished Latin Verses and Letters by Jacobus Wallius SJ (1599-1690) to Fredericus Marslarius and One Unknown Letter to Constantijn Huygens', Lias: Sources and Documents relating to the Early Modern History of Ideas, 26 (1999), 23-56
* Sidronius Hosschius (Merkem 1596 - Tongeren 1653): jezuiët en Latijns Dichter, ed. D. Sacré (Kortrijk: Stedelijke Openbare Bibliotheek, 1996)

- Nachleben of classical authors

* J. Papy, 'Erasmus's and Lipsius's Editions of Seneca: A 'Complementary' Project?', Erasmus of Rotterdam Society Yearbook, 22 (2002), 10-36
* Recreating Ancient History. Episodes from the Greek and Roman Past in the Arts and Literature of the Early Modern Period, eds. K. Enenkel, J. de Jonghe, and J. De Landtsheer with collaboration of Alicia Montoya, Intersections. Yearbook for Early Modern Studies, 1 (Leiden: Brill, 2001)

- History of classical philology

* G. Tournoy, lemma 'Die alten Niederlande bis 1575', in Der Neue Pauly. Enzyklopädie der Antike. In Verbindung mit H. Cancik und H. Schneider hrsg. von Manfred Landfester, 15/1: Rezeptions- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte: La-Ot (Stuttgart-Weimar, 2001), koll. 985-994 (i.s.m. C. L. Heesakkers)
* D. Sacré, lemma 'Niederlande und Belgien, III: Die Südlichen Niederlande nach 1575', in Der Neue Pauly. Enzyklopädie der Antike. In Verbindung mit H. Cancik und H. Schneider hrsg. von Manfred Landfester, 15/1: Rezeptions- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte: La-Ot (Stuttgart-Weimar, 2001), kk. 1016-1036
* “Europa Humanistica”, for more information, click here.

- The Neo-Latin novel and short story

- Neo-Latin drama

* Petrus Vladeraccus. Tobias (1598), ed. M. Verweij, Supplementa Humanistica Lovaniensia 17 (Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2001)

- Neo-Latin satire

* G. Tournoy, 'The Reception of Barclay's Satyricon in Europe', in Christoph M. Peters - Friedrich-K. Unterweg (Hrsg.), Thomas More ... and More. Freundesgabe für / Liber Amicorum for Hubertus Schulte Herbrüggen (Frankfurt am Main, etc. 2002), pp. 263-292

- Neo-Latin dialogue literature

* Desiderius Erasmus, Gesprekken. Vertaald en toegelicht door J. De Landtsheer (Amsterdam: Athenaeum, Polak en Van Gennep, 2001)
* D. Sacré, 'Exercitatio linguae Latinae (1538-1539). Les colloques scolaires de Vivès', in Walter Geerts - Annick Paternoster - Franco Pignatti (eds.), Il sapere delle parole. Studi sul dialogo latino e italiano del Rinascimento. Giornate di studio Anversa 21-22 febbraio 1997 (Roma: Bulzoni, 2001), pp. 7-22

- Humanists and Universities

* G. Tournoy, 'Les relations entre Damião de Góis, Nicolas Clénard et l'Université de Louvain', in Congresso Internacional Damião de Góis na Europa do Renascimento. Actas, ed. A.M. Martins Melo, Publicações da Faculdade de Filosofía - Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Braga, 2003), pp. 719-729
* Justus Lipsius, Leuven: Beschrijving van de stad en haar universiteit. Latijnse tekst met inleiding, vertaling en aantekeningen door J. Papy (Leuven: Universitaire Pers Leuven, 2000)

- Neo-Latin lexicography

* D. Sacré, Instrumentum Lexicographicum Neolatinum (appears annually in Humanistica Lovaniensia)

- Humanism and philosophy 16th-17th century

* Juan Luis Vives, De Subventione pauperum sive De Humanis Necessitatibus Libri II, ed. C. Matheeussen - C. Fantazzi, with the assistance of J. De Landtsheer, Selected works of J. L. Vives, 4 (Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2002)
* J. Papy, 'The Reception of Agricola's De inventione dialectica in the Teaching of Logic at the Louvain Faculty of Arts in the Early Sixteenth Century', in A. Vanderjagt - F. Akkerman - A. Van der Laan (eds.), Northern Humanism in European Context 1469-1625. From the 'Adwert Academy' to Ubbo Emmius, Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, 94 (Leiden-Boston-Köln: Brill, 1999), pp. 167-185

Courses

All students reading Latin at K.U.L. are introduced to some Neo-Latin and Medieval authors in the second and third years of their curriculum. Furthermore, there are more specialized possibilities (also for English-speaking students) at a graduate and post-graduate level.

The following courses are currently offered at a graduate level:

1. History of Humanism and Neo-Latin Literature
2. Reading of Neo-Latin Texts
3. History of Mediaeval Latin Literature
4. Reading of Mediaeval Latin Texts
5. Latin Palaeography (including humanist script)
6. Seminar on Neo-Latin
7. History on the Reception of Classical Antiquity

The language of instruction is Dutch, but allowance for the mother tongue (English, French, German, Spanish and Italian) of foreign students can be made.

The university also offers a Master of Medieval and Renaissance Studies taught in English. For detailed information, see the website.

Activities

- Members of the Seminarium are regularly involved in the organisation of exhibitions, colloquia and conferences. A few examples of those are:

* In 1996, an exhibition was dedicated to the memory of Sidronius Hosschius (Merkem 1596 - Tongeren 1653). The catalogue was edited by D. Sacré.

* An exhibition and colloquium dealing with Justus Lipsius was organised in 1997 by G. Tournoy, J. Papy and J. De Landtsheer. The catalogue of the exhibition was published in 1997, with the proceedings of the colloquium appearing in 1999.

* Collaboration in the exhibition Leuven in Books - Books in Leuven. The Oldest University of the Low Countries and its Library (Universities of Pennsylvania and Louvain, 1999).

* An international colloquium focusing on the rhetoric and pragmatics of letter writing in early modern times was organised in 2000 by T. Van Houdt, J. Papy, G. Tournoy and C. Matheeussen. The proceedings were published in 2002.

* Co-organisation of the III. Congreso internacional de humanisme y perviviencia del mundo clásico. Homenaje a Antonio Fontán (Alcañiz, 2000) and the XIth International Congres for Neo-Latin Studies (Cambridge, 2000).

* International colloquium Vitrioli, Pascoli and Latin Poetry today (Rome), organised by D. Sacré in 2001.

* G. Tournoy has been co-organiser of the conferences of the Istituto F. Petrarca Montepulciano-Chianciano-Pienza since 1999.
* In 2005 a conference was organized about De verhoudingen tussen auteur, drukker en gededicaceerde bij Neolatijnse publicaties: acta.

- The annual periodical Humanistica Lovaniensia and its Supplementa are edited by members of the Seminarium.

- Members also collaborate in the following journals and series (see also the section on Neo-Latin journals on our link page):

* Neo-Latin news (European editor: G. Tournoy)
* Ciceronianus. Scrittori latini per l'Europa
* Les Cahiers de l'Humanisme
* Calamus Renascens Letteratura Italiana Antica
* Retiarius
* Revista Portuguesa de Humanidades
* Lias (Managing editor and secretary for Belgium: D. Sacré)
* Vox Latina
* Kleio

- D. Sacré is also one of the tresviri libris iudicandis of the Academia Latinitati Fovendae and an evaluator for Bolchazy-Carducci Publ. (Wauconda, Ill.)

- Members of the Seminarium contribute as well to the realisation of projects of the Maerlantcenter, such as the CD-Roms on Nikolaas Rockox, Gerard Mercator and Nicolaes Cleynaerts.