La Sapienza, via della Sapienza

Porticato interno - La Sapienza (G. Bettini, Comune di Pisa)

The history of the Sapienza began in 1472, when Lorenzo il Magnifico restored the Studio Pisano, documented from at least the XII century, identifying it as the Piazza del Grano in the district of Santa Maria (“Mezzo” at the time). The intent was to gather all the university lessons that were held in different locations (churches, houses of professors, etc...) into one space. It was Cosimo I de’ Medici who officially inaugurated the building in 1543, at the entrance of which he placed the large Medici coat of arms sculpted by Tribolo and Pierino da Vinci. The large courtyard represents the centre of knowledge, surrounded by the double loggia that leads to the classrooms. Today, the schola magna, or Aula Magna Storica (Great Historical Hall) is still used for official academic inaugurations and degrees, and features a gallery of portraits of illustrious professors. However, the scene is dominated by the statue of Galileo Galilei, sculpted by Paolo Emilio Demi in 1839 on the occasion of the First Congress of Italian Scientists. The New Aula Magna (Lecture Hall) still consecrated the Pisan genius with a cycle of frescoes, the Galilean Triptych , painted by Adolfo De Carolis (1915-1922) and embellished with beautiful stained glass windows painted by Galileo Chini. Today the Sapienza is home to the University Library and the Faculty of Law.