Jean Tixier de Ravisi (c. 1470–1542) was a French

Renaissance humanist Renaissance humanism was a revival in the study of classical antiquity, at first in Italy and then spreading across Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. During the period, the term ''humanist'' ( it, umanista) referred to teache ...

scholar and professor of rhetoric. He was born in Ravisi, which is near the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

of Saint-Saulge in the central

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Nivernais Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

. Tixier eventually adopted the Latinised name Johannes Textor Ravisius, Nivernensis. Per the epitaph on his headstone, Tixier was born in 1470, and died on 3 December 1542. According to Victor Gueneau, other scholars pretend that he died on 13 December 1524, and that his brother, Jacques, completed Jean's book ''l'Origine de l'imprimerie'' ("The Origin of Printing"). Similarly, some authors report his year of birth to be approximately 1480. Tixier studied

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

at the

College of Navarre The College of Navarre (french: Collège de Navarre) was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris, rivaling the Sorbonne and renowned for its library. History It was founded by Queen Joan I of Navarre in 1305, who provided for th ...

. When he graduated, he accepted a position in the college's rhetoric department; there he impressed faculty and students alike. In 1520, he accepted a position as

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. He held the position until 1525, succeeded by William Manderstown. More than thirty editions of his principal work, ''Officina'', were published as he continued to expand it. His other writings were published posthumously.

See also

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Further reading