A brief history of Ferrara University
The foundation
The University of Ferrara is one of the oldest in Italy. It was founded in 1391 by Alberto V, Marquis of Este, and granted by Pope Boniface IX.
The origins
The earliest courses were in the arts, theology and law and from the very beginning it attracted well-known teachers. These included Bartolomeo of Saliceto, "Prince of the jurists", and Guarino of Verona, who had Enea Silvio Piccolomini (the future Pope Pious II) among his pupils.
The 15th and 16th centuries
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the University witnessed the splendour of the city, as it developed into one of the most important cultural centres of the Italian Renaissance. In this period, the fame of the Este University was enriched by the presence of many great intellectuals. Among them were the Portuguese botanist Amato Lusitano; Copernicus’ teacher, Domenico Maria Novara; and Celio Calcagnini, the mathematician, man of letters, poet, philosopher and jurist.
In 1598, Ferrara came under the control of the Papal States and the University underwent the reforms and changes required by the Papacy. Alternating periods of crisis and difficulty followed, due to a gradual decline in student numbers. It was only in 1771 that reformatory measures established a financial endowment and a permanent administrative structure for the University.
After the French Revolution
When the French Revolution occurred, the University gained importance and the professors were called up by the city authorities. The University of Ferrara took an active part in the Cispadana Republic and in 1797 it became the fi rst European university with a course in constitutional law. In 1803, the University was changed into a secondary school due to the extremely low number of students. It had to wait until after the Restoration to resume its university status. At this time there were three faculties: Law, Mathematics and Medicine, and three schools: Notary, Pharmacy and Obstetrics.
The 20th century
At the beginning of the 20th century, the University of Ferrara had over 500 students, marking it as the most popular of the independent Italian universities. During the Fascist period, in 1934, the school of Pharmacy was upgraded to a Faculty.
This added to the three existing faculties of Law, Medicine and Surgery, and Science.
After the Second World War, all Italian universities underwent major changes, linked to the gradual increase in students and the creation of new Faculties.
Between 1968 and 1969, the Faculty of Education was opened. This was subsequently renamed Literature and Philosophy. Thus we reach a total of five Faculties with thirteen degree courses, to which we must add the two-year engineering course.
The most recent expansion took place during the ‘90s, with the opening of three new Faculties: Architecture, Engineering and Economics.
