It's really a shame that Erasmus never got to visit this college.
In his time, the Ursuline Convent stood on its place.
This college is named after the 16th century humanist Justus Lipsius.
Justus Lipsius was very much influenced by Erasmus,
even though he was born only after Erasmus had died.
They were both humanists and men of letters who had fallen in love with Leuven.
Lipsius taught history and Latin at the university.
The Collegium Trilingue flourished for the first time under Erasmus
and for the last time under Justus Lipsius.
After his death in the early 17th century, Lipsius was buried in the Franciscan Church,
which has since been demolished.
In the 19th century, Lipsius' skeleton was discovered during excavations and it was moved to the college chapel,
where you can also see his tomb memorial and a bust.
The college currently serves as a university hall of residence.
Did you know that during his student years, Lipsius had a relationship with his landlady?
Erasmus not only influenced many people after his death,
he was also very influential during his lifetime.
He maintained intellectual friendships with people across Europe, such as Thomas More,
the famous author of Utopia.
He even dedicated his masterpiece 'In Praise of Folly' to More, simply as an expression of his intellectual admiration.
Nevertheless, Erasmus was careful not to make formal connections that might in any way have limited
his intellectual and literary freedom.