[Neutroroberts]

Hi!
Thank you all for your comments and interest. Now, to answer your questions ...
To make a very long story short, I will try to sum up where we derive from and what we are briefly:
The Italian Goliardia derives from Latin (vulgata) and medieval traditions, especially those of the "clerici vagantes" (students who travelled around Europe in medieval times in search of menthors and erudition, whilst conducting a merry life - see the Carmina Burana as a good example).
The Padua University prides itself as being the starting point of the Italian Goliardia. As the Alma Mater (the Bologna University), the oldest one in Europe was under direct influence of the Papal State and governed by priests, at a certain point students rebelled as they wanted more freedom of thought and left Bologna in a big group, moving to the Venetian Republic (which was never on good terms with the Vatican State). Venice gave them permission in 1222 to create a university in Padua, and thus the 1st "free" university was created. Free because it was entirely governed by the students, who selected the professors and paid for them, amongst the students 2 were selected at intervals to manage the university and were called the Tribunes. In fact the motto of our university is "Universa Universis Patavina Libertas". As students came from all around Europe, that is why the "nationes" were created - students created groups on the basis of their origin and wore specific clothes to identify the different groups.
My Order is one of these, and exists since the beginning of the Padua University, first written documents regarding our natione date back from the early 1400s. (We are divided in orders, corporations, fraternities and acadaemias). We are also members of a nationwide organization founded in the 1890s.
Our traditions and rituals are mainly medieval, and we use the Latin vulgata for formal communication. The ideals of the Goliardia are that when you are a student you should learn as much as you can but also have fun and enjoy life in a very simple way, always honouring the Gods of the Goliardia. Once you leave university and start working you have to become a "serious" and responsible person. Our most important song and hymn "Gaudeamus Igitur" best describes this idea.
Well, that's mostly it, I hope I have been sufficiently short and that I have not bored you too much.
I do hope that I have intrigued you a bit about our traditions.

Gaudeamus

Neutroroberts