The Studia Linguarum (literally "Language Institutes") were the first attempt to Oriental studies by the Roman Catholic Church. The need to study oriental languages was affirmed by the General Chapter of the Dominican Order in Paris in 1236. The objective of the schools was to help the Dominican Order liberate Christian captives in Islamic lands.
As a side effect of the establishment of these institutes, some Arabic scientific works were also translated in European languages, such as the ophthalmological work Liber Oculorum of Ali Ibn Isa (Jesu Haly) by Friar Dominicus Marrochini of the Studium of Murcia.
In 1311, the Council of Vienne further decided to create schools for the study of oriental languages in the universities of Paris, Bologna, Oxford, Salamanca and Rome.
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