ABSTRACT
The University of Orleans serves as a prime example of the interaction between the various players in the field: the pope, the king, the urban population, and, of course, the academic community. This chapter outlines the confrontation between these disparate parties in Orleans during the first quarter of the fourteenth century. In 1306, Pope Clement V granted the doctores—professors, in this case—and scolares the right to form a corporation or universitas with all the attendant privileges. In January 1309, the professors and students gathered together in their church to hear the contents of the letter from Toulouse with regard to their privileges. In May 1316, the rector, doctores, and scolares of the University of Orleans signed a contract with Prior Pierre of the monastery of Saint-Etienne. In it, the academic community declared that they would conform to local law—in this case the canon law of Saint-Etienne—whereas their servants and university officials fell under the jurisdiction of the city and count.
