Thomas Aquinas

1224–1225 to 1274 · Doctor 1567

Origin: Roccasecca
Historical identity: Medieval Italian; Kingdom of Sicily
Affiliation: Dominican (OP)

Life and work

Dominican theologian and philosopher who developed a major synthesis of Christian doctrine and Aristotelian philosophy. His teaching career linked the universities and Dominican schools of France, Germany and Italy.

Places and activities

Roccasecca

1224/1225

Born in his family's castle near Aquino.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Montecassino

c. 1230-1239

Received his early monastic education.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Naples

c. 1239-1244

Studied and encountered Aristotle and the Dominican vocation.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Paris

1245-1248

Studied under Albert the Great.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Cologne

1248-1252

Followed Albert to the new Dominican studium.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Paris

1252-1259

Taught and became a master of theology.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Orvieto

1261-1265

Taught and worked for Urban IV, including Eucharistic liturgical texts.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Rome

1265-1268

Directed studies and began the Summa Theologiae.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Paris

1269-1272

Returned for a second period as regent master.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Naples

1272-1273

Organized Dominican theological study and taught.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Fossanova Abbey

1274

Died at the Cistercian abbey while traveling toward the Council of Lyon.

Benedict XVI: Thomas Aquinas

Journeys

1248: Followed Albert from Paris to the Cologne studium.

1274: Left Naples for the council; his journey ended at Fossanova.

1272: Returned to Naples to organize theological studies.

1268-1269: Was recalled from Italy to teach again in Paris.

Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Thomas Aquinas

Primary sources

Further reading

Wikipedia

Thomas Aquinas

Dates and research notes

Years are historical biographical dates; an approximate label on a place record remains approximate.

Selected sourced locations; not a complete itinerary. All geographic coordinates are approximate.

Lifetime associations, not citizenship or a claim that all affiliations were held simultaneously.

Official modern biographical overview; not contemporary evidence for the saint's travels.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912. Biographical article.

Oxford University Press, 2011. Recommended reference; consult the relevant entry and its bibliography. Not treated as read evidence for individual seed claims.

Primary text or author archive. Its presence in the bibliography does not by itself support every map claim.

Recommended scholarly reading. Publisher/catalogue link; not used as consulted evidence for seed place claims.

Updated 2026-11-01