What medieval order founded in the 13th century is known for preaching and education?

The story behind the answer

Founded in 1216 by Domingo de Guzmán and approved by Pope Honorius III, this mendicant community was officially the Order of Preachers. Its core mission was learned preaching and education—training friars in theology and philosophy, establishing studia, and embedding itself in universities like Paris to confront heresy through reasoned argument.

They became intellectual powerhouses of the Middle Ages, producing figures such as Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus and shaping scholastic thought. Unlike Benedictines and Augustinians, who were primarily monastic, and the Franciscans, who emphasized radical poverty and pastoral care, this order prioritized doctrinal teaching and public disputation. Their black-and-white habit became a familiar sight across Europe, and their influence extended into preaching, university life, and, controversially, inquisitorial work.