University of Pisa

The University of Pisa was officially founded in 1343, although several scholars trace its origins back to the 11th century. However, it is established that from the middle of the 12th century Pisa had a "Universitas" in the original sense of the word, ie a group of students grouped around masters. At the same time, Leonardo Fibonacci, one of the greatest mathematicians in history, was born and worked in Pisa. His work synthesized for the first time in Europe the spirit and procedures of Greek geometry and the computational tools of Arabic mathematics.

In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, Pisa and his Studio underwent a slow agony. The war, which enabled the Florentines to capture the city, was so devastating economically and socially that it was impossible to maintain academic activity, even if it was kept to a minimum.

Galileo was first a student and then a professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa before moving to Padua: in this Tuscan city he began the studies and experiments that formed the basis of his revolutionary theories.

Currently, the University of Pisa is divided into 20 departments, with approximately 150 bachelor's, master's and single-cycle courses, more than 20 doctoral courses, 50 specialization courses and more than 60 master's degrees. There are more than 1,500 teachers and slightly more administrative, technical and library staff. There are approximately 50,000 students enrolled out of a population of 90,000, making Pisa a real campus city: they come mainly from Tuscany and Liguria, but also from many other regions and especially from the south of the peninsula, a very high number of students. In addition, a large number of foreign students contribute to the city's character as an open, lively and multicultural place.

Today, the tenor Andrea Bocelli is the most famous graduate in the world.

Willem Vandenameele