Prior to the creation of universities, there were only three methods of study: the one applied by preceptors in noble houses; the religious one used in convents and religious institutes; and finally, the philosophical one, understood as an aggregation of followers who discussed the doctrine of a common master.

At the beginning of the last millennium, in Europe there was a need for freer forms of association that would allow the fluid diffusion of knowledge and the exchange of information and reflections. Numerous universities flourished in Italy, some through a spontaneous movement of people, others sponsored by sovereigns or municipalities.