Today the University is a clearly centralised body, but in its early years it was a loose federation of colleges, each with its own curriculum, staff and library.
If you stand with your back to the papal bull, the displays which will be on your left tell the story of the three surviving colleges, which were all founded within the first 130 years of the University’s history.
In the first case there is a cast of a skull. It comes from James Kennedy, who succeeded Wardlaw as Bishop of St Andrews.
Bishop Kennedy founded the first of St Andrews’ surviving colleges in 1450 in the hope that its well-defined hierarchy and established curriculum would provide a better focus for learning and stop disputes among masters that had plagued the University.
The college was dedicated to St Salvator, that is, Christ the Saviour.
Only a few of the original college buildings have survived. One of these is the chapel, where Kennedy was buried after his death in 1465.
The cast of his skull was made when his tomb was opened in 1842.
After another opening of the tomb in 1930 an anatomical artist called James Murray used Kennedy’s skull to create a reconstruction of what he might have looked like.
The silver in the first tall case further along belongs to another of the University’s colleges, St Leonard’s. St Leonard’s was founded in 1512 and it joined St Salvator’s in 1747 to form the United College.
The final case along this wall shows items relating to the most recent of the University’s colleges, St Mary’s, which was known until the 19th century as New College.
It was established in 1538 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Its founders, Archbishops James and David Beaton, hoped that it would improve the training of Catholic priests, partly to help combat the rise of Protestantism.
Ironically, St Mary’s was refounded in 1579 following the Reformation for teaching reformed Protestant theology.
To the left of the display about St Mary’s is the oldest known fully hallmarked piece of Edinburgh silver, a mazer, or large cup, belonging to the college.
A hallmark is a stamp which is used to show that the silver meets a recognised standard of purity and helpfully provides a date of manufacture.
If you look closely at the marks you might be able to see a tiny castle, which represents the city of Edinburgh.
The marks tell us that the cup dates from between 1552 and 1562.
When you are ready to continue with the tour take a look at the three mediaeval maces.