University of Rome La Sapienza

From New World Encyclopedia
University of Rome "La Sapienza"
Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"
Borromini SantIvo.jpg
Latin: Studium Urbis
Established 1303
Type State-supported
Location Rome, Italy
Website www.uniroma1.it/


University of Rome La Sapienza (Italian Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza") is the largest European university and the most ancient of Rome's three public universities. [1] In Italian, Sapienza means "wisdom" or "knowledge." It is known around the world for its excellent medical school, scientific research facilities as well as its cultural and humanities studies.

Mission and Reputation

File:Città Universitaria.png
University City Map, Rome (Italy)

The University of Rome La Sapienza has a long tradition of providing an excellent education and strives to keep that reputation alive today. The school offers all levels of education, Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degrees, as well as specialized vocational programs designed to prepare students for specific occupations upon completion of certificate programs. Its location in one of the most historic cities in the world is often emphasized as a draw to students, not just those from Italy but from all over the world as the university makes a conscious effort to draw as much of a mosaic group of students as possible.

History

Domenico Barrière: Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, ca. 1695

La Sapienza was founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, as a Studium for ecclesiastical studies more under his control than the universities of Bologna and Padua. The future of the school remained uncertain a mere century later when turmoil within the Catholic church produced the Great Schicism, in which Popes relocated to Avignon. Still young in its establishment, La Sapienza appeared overshadowed by the other schools at the time. The school was saved, however, by Pope Eugene IV in 1431; introducing a new tax on wine, in order to raise funds for the university and creating an administrative body of a Chancellor and four administrators to oversee the school, Eugene IV essentially ensured the success of the school. The money raised during this time was used to buy a palace that later hosted the Sant'Ivo church, hence the name later given to the school La Sapienza.[2]

The centuries that followed brought many hardships to the school. Pope Clement VII closed the school in 1527 and kept it closed for his entire reign. It was opened by Paul III who succeeded Clement, but times remained rough for the university. While the university improved its establishments, purchased more land and grew in size, the universities' educational prospects diminished in the 17th century. Lax administration and a decline in discipline among instructors adversely affected the reputation of the school[3] However, a series of strong Popes dedicated to the success of La Sapeinza in the late 17th and early 18th centuries helped to turn the school around. In 1870, La Sapienza stopped being the papal university and became the university of the capital of the newly unified Italy.

In 1935, the new university campus, planned by Marcello Piacentini, was completed. In the academic year 2006-2007, La Sapienza had 21 departments, 138,000 students and was the largest university in Western Europe. It has many locations in Rome, but is mainly situated in the Città Universitaria, near Termini Station.

Facilities

La Sapienza - Engineering faculty at Via Eudossiana, Roma (Italy)

The University of Rome La Sapeinza has an "open campus", a term used generally to describe urban colleges that are not centrally located in a single geographic space, but are made up of a collection of buildings and structures spread out over a large area and are usually not connected. Because of this, many buildings belonging to the university are far from another, seperated by city blocks and structures. Nearly all the departments have their own buildings, and for those requiring them, labratories and other research facilities.

The university has more than 100 libraries, most of which are specialized by department and course of study. While a good deal of these libraries are very old, in recent years, under the Libraries of Wisdom project, the university has started to utilize virtual libraries more and more. The university has 21 museums, that focus on innovations in science, art and technology. Most of these museums are products of 20th century expansion projects, although they showcase items far older. The university also has theaters for both drama and cinema and art galleries for student works. The Plant Biology department has maintains a Botantical Gardens and the medical studies has clinics and a hospital for study and experience.

Programs

Colleges/Departments/Institutes

The university is divided into 21 faculties, also known as colleges, which in turn are divided into numerous sub-departments:

Research centers & major research groups

The university also has several research centers it operates:

  • Centro Ricerche Aerospaziali, responsible for the Italian rocket program, based on San Marco platform
  • SPES - Development Studies, research centre on Development studies at La Sapienza [4]
  • Pyschiatric Reabilative Dell'Eta Evolutia, research and treatment center dedicated to helping treat children with developmental/emotional/and nuerological problems.

Student Life

Traditions

Notable Alumni

  • Daniel Bovet, pharmacologist, Nobel prize winner
  • Vito Volterra, mathematician
  • Enrico Fermi, Nobel Prize winner, Physics
  • Emilio G. Segrè, Nobel prize winner, Physics
  • Nicola Cabibbo, President of the Pontifical Academy Of Sciences
  • Carlo Innocenzio Maria Frugoni, poet
  • Count Angelo de Gubernatis, orientalist
  • Santo Mazzarino, leading historian of ancient Rome and ancient Greece
  • Paolo Matthiae, director of the archeological expedition of Ebla
  • Marcel Danesi, language scientist
  • Giuliano Amato, law professor and twice Prime Minister of Italy
  • Diego Laynez, second general of the Society of Jesus;
  • Giulio Mazzarino, politician and cardinal
  • Sergio Balanzino, ambassador
  • Maurizio Cheli, astronaut
  • Umberto Guidoni, astronaut
  • Luca di Montezemolo, CEO
  • Scott O'Dell, novelist
  • Crescenzio Cardinal Sepe, cardinal
  • Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, president of Somalia
  • Leopold Saverio Vaccaro, (honorary degree recipient), noted surgeon

Notes

  1. Istituto di Storia del Diritto Italiano Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  2. (2007) Aboutroma.com ["The Story of La Sapienza"] Retrieved October 20, 2007
  3. Catholic Encyclopedia University of Rome Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  4. [http://w3.uniroma1.it/spes SPES Development Studies Research Centre at the University of Rome La Sapienza] Retrieved September 11, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Larner, Monica and Travis Neighbor Ward. Living, Studying and Working in Italy: Everything You Need to Know to Fulfill Your Dreams of Living Abroad (Henry Holt & Company, 2002) ISBN 9780805073065
  • Tosti, Don Loius and Eugene J. Donnelly (Translator). History of Pope Boniface VIII and His Times: With Notes and Documentary Evidence in Six Books (Kessinger Publishing Company, 2007) ISBN 9780548334485
  • Troccoli, Luciana Drago. Scavi e ricerche archeologiche dell'Universit. di Roma La Sapienza (Studio Archaeologica Series # 96) (L'Erma di Bretschneider, 1998) ISBN 9788882650155
  • Baldassarri, Mario (Ed), and Pierluigi Ciocca (Ed). Roots of the Italian School of Economics and Finance: From Ferrara (1857) to Einaudi (1944), Vol. 2. (Palgrave Macmillan, 2001) ISBN 9780333921012
  • Grendler, Paul F. Schooling in Renaissance Italy: Literacy and Learning, 1300-1600 (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991) ISBN 0801842298
  • Grendler, Paul F. The Universities of the Italian Renaissance. (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004) ISBN 0801880556

External links


Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.