A historical overview of the presence of Latin in institutions for the education
of the intellectual elites in modern and contemporary ages. Since Renaissance
humanism, Latin has taken great importance in times when civil society shared
new values and created genuine moral and material progress. The 15th, 16th
and 19th centuries are the clearest examples. Conversely, Latin encountered
difficult times when societies went into crisis, when traumatic breaks of political
institutions and school organizations occurred; when it suddenly seemed that
everything had to be changed. The 18th and especially the 20th century are
emblematic in this sense.
