As in the case of Catalonia, the spirit of humanism was imported to Sicily from Northern Italy where large numbers of Palemitans went to study. Prior to 1445, when the "Studio di Catania" was established, it was Palermo which attracted the largest number of law students. These were centres where the classical texts were circulated mainly in manuscript form. In those days, the large number of intellectuals and law students considered the juridical culture as instrumental in acquiring a worthy social standing. The professional state, especially the juridical, became an integral part of the refreshed milieu of the times at Palermo. Moreover, while the use of the vulgar tongues became established as a practised norm, the so-called "cultura del decoro" of the humanists became, more than restricted to cultural circles, a quality of life. Slowly it became the diffused, general mentality of the educated Palermitans.