# The Academy of Geneva (5 June 1559)

URL: https://allhistories.com/swiss/timeline/1559-the-academy-of-geneva
Themes: Key Events

On 5 June 1559 the Academy of Geneva was inaugurated in St. Peter's Cathedral, with Theodore Beza as its first rector. It consisted of a school for younger pupils and an advanced school training ministers. Calvin had long wanted such an institution, and an influx of teachers from Lausanne, who had fallen out with the Bernese authorities, provided the staff. Students came from across Europe, particularly France, the Netherlands, Scotland and Germany, and many returned home as pastors. Beza, Calvin's eventual successor, taught Greek and theology there. The Academy later developed into the University of Geneva.

## Why it matters
The Academy made Geneva the training ground of Reformed ministers, earning the city the nickname of the Protestant Rome.

Ruler at the Time: [Federal Diet of the Old Confederacy](https://allhistories.com/swiss/rulers/federal-diet-of-the-old-confederacy)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — University of Geneva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Geneva)
- [Wikipedia — Theodore Beza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Beza)
- [Wikipedia — John Calvin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — The Academy of Geneva](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=The+Academy+of+Geneva)
- [Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (HLS) lookup — The Academy of Geneva](https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/en/search/?text=The+Academy+of+Geneva)
- [Wikipedia — Reformation in Switzerland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_in_Switzerland)
- [Wikipedia — History of Switzerland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Switzerland)