Convictorio Carolino
The Convictorio Carolino was a school which operated in Santiago in colonial Chile. Some of the most important figures in the Chilean War of Independence were educated there. The Convictorio was very strict, and boarders were subject to rigid rules of conduct. Subjects taught there included Latin, theology, philosophy, social conduct, and Spanish language fundamentals. The existence of the College was fundamental to the development of education at the time, as it was one of the few Chilean educational institutions in operation. In 1813 it was integrated into the nascent Instituto Nacional, which retained the same rector, and continues to uphold its academic standards to this day. History In the mid-18th century there were only two boarding schools in the Captaincy General of Chile – the Convictorio of San Francisco Javier and another in Concepción – both of the Jesuits. Two other schools – Colegio del Santo Ángel de la Guarda (a theological seminary maintained by the Dominicans) and the Royal University of San Felipe – are not generally considered to be in the same category since the seminary was confined to those pursuing a career in the priesthood, and the University was focused on bachelor's degree programs. The Convictorio of San Francisco Javier, a direct predecessor of the Convictorio Carolino, had a small number of students and a dilapidated building at the time. In 1767, King Charles III decreed the expulsion of the Jesuits from the dominions of the Spanish Empire. When this took effect in the Captaincy General of Chile, it interrupted classes. This greatly worried members of the government, because in order to receive some level of education, young people had to travel to the National University of San Marcos in Lima or to Córdoba del Tucumán in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. On 9 July 1769, the King decreed the creation of boards to manage assets seized from the expelled Jesuits. In Chile this body was composed of Francisco Javier de Morales y Castejón de Arroyo, the Captain General, who presided; Juan de Balmaceda y Zenzano, judge of the Real Audiencia; Melchor de Santiago Concha, prosecutor of the same; Dr. José Antonio Martínez de Aldunate, Canon of the Cathedral of the Royal University; and Alonso de Guzmán, lawyer of the Real Audiencia, Natural Protector General (a post created to handle suits brought by Native Chileans), and professor of law at the University. On 14 July 1772 the board approved the foundation of a school named Royal Noble Seminary of Saint Charles , in honor of Charles III. It was to be located on the site of the closed Convictorio of San Francisco Javier. On 7 August of the same year, statutes were approved which established that its name was to be Convictorio Carolino, based on the patronage of Saint Charles. The door would bear the royal coat of arms and its students could make use of the hallmark of the crown. Despite good intentions, for various reasons the Convictorio could not be put