The Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS) is a

research centre A research institute, research centre, research center or research organization, is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often im ...

at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

dedicated to the history, thought, and artistic expression of the cultures that flourished during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. The centre was founded in 1964, with

Bertie Wilkinson Bertie may refer to: People *Bertie (given name) *Bertie (nickname) *Bertie (surname) Places * Bertie County, North Carolina * Bertie Township, subsequently amalgamated into Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada Other uses * ''Bertie'' (TV series), a 2008 ...

as its first director. Its foundation was announced in the journal '' Speculum'': The centre had originated in a Medieval Club that met at Hart House. It was inspired by the

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS) is a research institute in the University of Toronto that is dedicated to advanced studies in the culture of the Middle Ages. Governance The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto, currently Th ...

(PIMS), which had been founded in 1929 by

Étienne Gilson Étienne Henri Gilson (; 13 June 1884 – 19 September 1978) was a French philosopher and historian of philosophy. A scholar of medieval philosophy, he originally specialised in the thought of Descartes; he also philosophized in the tradition ...

. In turn, it was one of the inspirations for the University of Leeds

Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies The Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS) at the University of Leeds, founded in 1967, is a leading research and teaching institute in the field of medieval studies. It is home to the International Medieval Bibliography and the International Medi ...

.Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies: 1967-1978
, ''50 Years of Medieval Studies at Leeds'' (2017). The Centre's logo was designed by

Allan Fleming Allan Robb Fleming (7 May 1929 – 31 December 1977) was a Canadian graphic designer best known for having created the Canadian National Railway logo, designing the best-selling 1967 Centennial book ''Canada: A Year of the Land/Canada, du ...

, while he was head of graphic design at

University of Toronto Press The University of Toronto Press is a Canadian university press founded in 1901. Although it was founded in 1901, the press did not actually publish any books until 1911. The press originally printed only examination books and the university cale ...

, from 1968–1976. The Centre is now located in the

Lillian Massey Building The Lillian Massey Building is a Neoclassical building located in Downtown Toronto, at the southeast corner of Queen's Park and Bloor Street along the Mink Mile and across from the Royal Ontario Museum. It was designed by architect George Mar ...

, part of

Victoria University, Toronto Victoria University is a federated university forming part of the wider University of Toronto, and was founded in 1836. The undergraduate section of the university is Victoria College, informally ''Vic'', after the original name of the univers ...

References

{{Authority control University of Toronto Medieval studies research institutes Educational institutions established in 1964 Research institutes in Canada 1964 establishments in Ontario