For “Good Education of My Beloved people”: Agostino Valier and the Company of St. Ursula of Verona

Abstract

In the post-Tridentine period the Company of St. Ursula –founded in 1535 by Angela Merici in Brescia– became a model for other Companies which, following the example offered by Milan at the time of Carlo Borromeo, spread to other dioceses, taking an important role in the teaching of Christian doctrine.The city of Verona at the time of bishop Agostino Valier represents one of the first stages of this expansion process. This research reconstructs –for the first time in a systematic way– the origins and the initial phase of consolidation of the Company of Verona, with the support of the most recent bibliography and printed sources, in order to highlight the many educational objectives assigned to the Company within the pastoral plan of one of the most representative players in the post-Tridentine period.