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.

The history of the University of Pisa: some Pisan “magisters” were already known in the Carolingian era, such as the learned Pietro, deacon of Pisa, whom Charlemagne brought with him to the court around 744 AD, so he could devote himself to teaching grammar. In the twelfth century we know of Pisan jurists, also thanks to the presence of the Pandett Pisanee, part of the Digest, while in the thirteenth century we have mentions of doctors in medicine. The official birth dates back to September 3, 1343, when the Pisano Study was raised to the rank of General Study thanks to the papal edict of Pope Clement VI In supremae dignitatis (In Supreme Dignity). After a period of interruption following the first Florentine conquest (1406), it was restored by Lorenzo il magnifico, who also transferred the General Study of Florence to Pisa, creating a single university centre. From the 16th to the 19th centuries it was enlarged with new departments and in 1839 it hosted the First Congress of Italian Scientists. In 1862, the Pisan University was among the six national primary universities, together with Turin, Pavia, Bologna, Naples and Palermo. In 1900, it became a High Rank University and in 1969 it inaugurated the first degree course in Computer Science. Today, together with the Scuola Normale Superiore and Sant'Anna it is considered among the most prestigious universities in the world, with around 60,000 students coming from all over Italy and from abroad, thanks to exchange projects such as Erasmus, and Leonardo, and to the many hosting associations such as the Erasmus Student Network. The WIS! (Welcome International Students!) is the front office dedicated to holders of qualifications obtained abroad who intend to enrol at the University of Pisa.

The anatomical theatre, a curiosity near the Sapienza: in via della Sapienza, in front of the entrance of the University, we find the ancient church of Santa Maria Vergine (Virgin Mary), now deconsecrated. On the left side a plaque tells us of when that space was dedicated to the lessons of the medical school, inside the anatomical theatre inaugurated in 1544 by Cosimo I of the Medici family, with the scientific contributions of anatomist Andrea Vesalio. A reconstruction is found inside the Certosa di Pisa, in Calci (PI). Galileo Galilei also studied here.