University of Florence

Overview

The University of Florence traces its roots back to the Studium Generale, established by the Florentine Republic in 1321. Early on, it offered courses in Civil and Canon Law, Literature, and Medicine, attracting renowned scholars such as Giovanni Boccaccio, who lectured on the Divine Comedy. The institution gained prominence in 1349 when Pope Clement VI authorized it to grant official degrees and established Italy's first Faculty of Theology in Florence.

In 1364, Emperor Charles IV elevated the Studium to an Imperial University. However, political changes during Lorenzo the Magnificent’s rule led to its relocation to Pisa in 1473. It returned briefly to Florence between 1497 and 1515 under Charles VIII but was later moved back to Pisa when the Medici family regained power. Despite these relocations, teaching and research persisted in Florence, supported by academies like the Crusca and Cimento.

In 1859, after the Grand Duke's exile, Florence's various teaching institutions were unified into the Istituto di Studi Pratici e di Perfezionamento, which was officially recognized as a university in 1860. The institution underwent further development, and in 1923, it was formally designated as the University of Florence by parliamentary decree. Over time, the university expanded its faculties to include Agriculture, Architecture, Arts, Economics, Education, Law, Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Political Science, and Engineering, which became a full faculty in 1970.