Nine centuries of history
Founded in 1088
Nine centuries of Alma Mater Studiorum: from as far back as 1088, conventionally referred to as the year in which the Studium of Bologna was founded, through the bustling Middle Ages and the eclectic Renaissance to the stagnation of the modern age and its revival in the contemporary era. The oldest University in the Western world presents itself.
from 11th-12th centuries…
The birth of the Studium and the Commune
“The School of Bologna was established independently, it arose and stood out as a private school.” It was with these words that Carducci celebrated the birth of the Alma Mater Studiorum, during celebrations for its 8th Centenary in 1888. The prophet-poet himself admitted the artificiality of the centenary, as he acknowledged that it was impossible to determine the exact date it was founded, given that the Studium of Bologna was not established at the behest of a sovereign or an organised group of teachers, but was the outcome of the spontaneous and informal initiative of a few students.
It was precisely thanks to them that Bologna quickly became known not only as “La Dotta” (The Learned) but also as “La Grassa” (The Fat) city. It was a rich and powerful medieval metropolis, capable of attracting and accommodating hundreds of wealthy young people, who brought with them not only books and servants but also a substantial amount of money.
This is why the Commune immediately forged an unbreakable bond with its Studium and supported it, at least during the first few centuries, with laws and decrees that protected and favoured it.
These two institutions, the Commune and the university, both born under the guidance of the teacher Irnerius, were completely intertwined, under porticoes, in private homes, in monasteries and in city areas rented out as required for lessons and assemblies.
…to the 21st century
A widespread and sustainable university
Towards the end of the last century, when new forms of university autonomy were introduced, the Alma Mater embarked on a project aimed at relocating some of its courses, which led to the first Multicampus being set up in Italy, now extending throughout the Romagna region. Meanwhile, it has continued to expand in the city centre of Bologna and its suburbs, developing an ever-increasing interest in new technologies and respect for the environment, which are of crucial importance if it is to remain competitive and at the forefront also in the 21st century.
