The university of Naples Federico II was founded by the
king of Sicily and
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II on 5 June 1224. It is the world's oldest state-supported institution of higher education and research. One of the most famous students was
Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher
Thomas Aquinas.
Founding: Political project of Frederick II Frederick II had specific objectives when he founded the university in Naples: first, to train administrative and skilled bureaucratic professionals for the
curia regis (the kingdom's ministries and governing apparatus), as well as preparing lawyers and judges who would help the sovereign to draft laws and administer justice. Second, he wanted to facilitate the cultural development of promising young students and scholars, avoiding any unnecessary and expensive trips abroad: by creating a State University, Emperor Frederick avoided having young students during his reign complete their training at the
University of Bologna, which was in a city that was hostile to the imperial power. The University of Naples was arguably the first to be formed from scratch by a higher authority, not based upon an already-existing private school. Although its claim to be the first state-sponsored university can be challenged by
Palencia (which was founded by the Castilian monarch c.1212), Naples certainly was the first chartered one. Through a circular letter, the Emperor firmly invited all students to journey to Naples before September 29 (the feast day of
Saint Michael the Archangel), a date that became customary for the commencement of the academic year. This letter was transmitted through the collection of letters attributed to
Pier della Vigna, who served as the emperor's prime minister. In an era when students typically paid their own instructors, at the Frederickian university from its inception, the teachers were compensated by the emperor; the students were protected and supported, and deserving ones could avail themselves of honor loans and accommodations. The choice of Naples as the location was not only due to cultural reasons (the city had a long-standing tradition in this regard, linked to the figure of
Virgil, explicitly referenced in a document of the time), but also for geographic and economic considerations (maritime trade and transport, the mild climate, and the strategic position within the Kingdom were primarily decisive). For the organization of the Studium, the expertise of two eminent Campanian jurists, Pier della Vigna and
Taddeo da Sessa, was enlisted. For the new university to compete with older ones, Frederick II forbade citizens of the kingdom from attending foreign universities, particularly the University of Bologna, under the threat of corporal and pecuniary sanctions. At the same time, educational institutions within the kingdom were not allowed to offer courses in the same disciplines taught by the University of Naples, leading to the closure of several of these schools. The artificiality of its creation posed great difficulties in attracting students;
Thomas Aquinas was one of the few who came in these early years. Those years were further complicated by the long existence, in nearby
Salerno, of Europe's most prestigious medical faculty, the
Schola Medica Salernitana. The fledgling faculty of medicine at Naples had little hope of competing with it, and in 1231 the right of examination was surrendered to Salerno. The establishment of new faculties of theology and law under papal sponsorship in Rome in 1245 further drained Naples of students, as Rome was a more attractive location. In an effort to revitalize the dwindling university, in 1253, all the remaining schools of the university of Naples moved to Salerno, in the hope of creating a single viable university for the south. But that experiment failed and the university (minus medicine) moved back to Naples in 1258 (in some readings, Naples was "refounded" in 1258 by
Manfred Hohenstaufen, as by this time there were hardly any students left). The Angevin reforms after 1266 and the subsequent decline of Salerno gave the University of Naples a new lease on life and put it on a stable, sustainable track. The Studium was organized in an original manner, different from the so-called Bolognese or Parisian model of the university. It was a closed institution with very strict rules. Students and professors were forbidden from leaving its walls. This type of university organization was also adopted in some Spanish universities. The original location of the University of Naples remains uncertain, but it is hypothesized to have been situated in the region of Nido, next to the Church of San Marco and the Monastery of Donna Romita. During the reign of Charles I, several reforms were introduced in the organization of the university, including the establishment of the Magistrate of the students and the introduction of new academic titles. The chairs were defined more clearly, becoming six: Medicine, Canon Law, Civil Law, Theology, Grammar, and Logic. During the reign of Charles I of Anjou, the University of Naples saw the presence of important figures such as Andrea and Bartolomeo da Capua, Andrea Bonello, Filippo da Castrocoeli, and St. Thomas Aquinas, the latter being the beneficiary of a monthly subsidy granted by the King. Others like Giacomo Belvisio, Andrea d'Isernia, and Arnaldo di Villanova were also renowned under his successor. However, periods of political instability and the Spanish conquest brought turmoil once again to the university. Ferdinand the Catholic sold the office of Magistrate of the students to the city, and Viceroys abolished the students' exemption privileges. Despite attempts at reform, abuses persisted, and the university failed to regain its reputation.
From the 13th to the 16th century Initially the studies were directed towards
law (fundamental for the formation of
jurists), the
liberal arts, medicine and theology: the latter, compared to other subjects, was taught in religious institutions, in particular in the convent of San Domenico Maggiore, where
Thomas Aquinas taught from 1271 to 1274. During the Angevin period (1265–1443) the structure and organization of the university remained substantially unchanged. In 1443, with the advent of Aragonese rule, the university was closed for about twenty years. In 1465 it was reopened until 1490. From 1443 to 1501, the humanities became the primary focus of higher education in Naples (until then, clerical subjects had been the priority). Only from 1507 did the university enjoy a more lasting serenity, remaining definitively open in the Monastery of San Domenico Maggiore.
From the 16th to the 19th century |thumb|upright=1.4|Certificate of admission to the Doctoral College of the University of Naples for Amycus Angelus Mansus, Master and Doctor of Law. Naples, June 6, 1611. After the arrival of the Spaniards in the early sixteenth century, the University of Naples was no longer subject to suspensions and closures, except for brief interruptions due to riots, epidemics, and famines. However, its conditions remained precarious, without a stable headquarters and with some of the lowest salaries in Italy and Europe. Royal absolutism and the Church's fears regarding the spread of religious reform movements generated a climate of tight control over cultural institutions. A papal bull in 1564 imposed on all professors and doctors of the university the oath of fidelity to the Catholic faith. Towards the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th, a dispute arose with the University of Salerno regarding medical degrees, which attracted many students thanks to benefits such as the lack of obligation to enroll or attend classes for several years. The Princes of Avellino were among the main supporters of the University of Naples, obtaining the hereditary privilege of Grand Chancellor. However, the desertion of young doctors caused problems. the
astronomical observatory, the
botanical garden and the mineralogy and zoology museums were connected to the university and directed by university professors. Thanks to specific laws aimed at standardizing Italian universities, such as the decree-law of 30 May 1875 (issued by
Ruggero Bonghi) and the Regulation of 1876 (issued by
Michele Coppino), the University of Naples managed to overcome such diversities, already highlighted in 1860 by the Director General of Public Education,
Francesco de Sanctis, who energetically contributed to its modernization. |thumb|The Headquarters at the end of the 19th century. Although the student population multiplied, bringing it to third place in Europe, after Berlin and Vienna, the buildings available to the university were lacking and sometimes not adequate (in fact, most of them were converted former convents). In 1884, after a violent cholera epidemic, the structure of the
House of the Savior being now inadequate, the university was moved, thanks to urban renewal initiatives, to the new location in Corso Umberto I, where it still resides. However, as stated by the rector Luigi Miraglia in 1896, the implementation of such law failed to fully meet the needs of the Faculty of Medicine. The condition of the scientific institutes, confined in cramped premises and lacking the necessary resources for their development, had become unsustainable. Even the library and teachings, which did not require specific spaces like laboratories, were facing serious difficulties due to the limited available space. In its first session on 19 July 1805, the Chamber of Deputies approved a resolution regarding the reorganization of the University of Naples, recognizing the urgent need for state intervention to improve its deteriorating conditions. The Government, supported by the Commission, agreed to present a bill to reform the university's building, already promising a contribution of two million lire to be distributed over six years. The University of Naples was in a degraded state, with crumbling and inadequate buildings for its student population. Various education ministers had recognized the need for renovation, but the financial and technical situation posed challenges. After unsuccessful attempts, it was decided to entrust the drafting of a new project to the engineers who had worked on the previous one. This new project, estimated at 4,420,000 lire, was approved by the Ministry of Education and subsequently by the Superior Council of Public Works. The agreement between the Government and the provinces involved, including Naples, envisaged that the work would be financed with contributions from both state and local authorities. The advance payment of state expenses, provided in ten annual installments, was to be proportional to the contributions of the other entities involved. Despite financial difficulties, the work was considered of vital importance for the scientific and cultural progress of the country. The agreement also envisaged the participation of the provinces of Chieti and Campobasso, although they were not yet officially involved. However, it was hoped that they would contribute in the future, thus reducing the financial burden on the State. To cover the total estimated cost of the agreement, amounting to 6,800,000 lire, funds from land sales, withdrawals from recovery funds, and contributions from the Municipality of Naples and the Bank of Naples were envisaged. The bill presented to Parliament reflected the long and laborious negotiation between the Government and the parties involved, seeking to balance financial interests with the cultural and scientific importance of the project. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Faculty of Medicine, constantly complaining about the lack of adequate facilities, convinced the Government to establish a Commission whose report led to the promulgation of the law of 16 July 1882. This law authorized the expenditure of 850,000 lire for the transfer and adaptation of the clinics and facilities of the Medical Faculty of the Royal University of Naples to the former convents of Santa Patrizia and Sant'Andrea delle Dame. Thanks to this law, the buildings of Santa Patrizia and Sant'Andrea delle Dame were acquired, and the renovation works were initiated and completed. In 1887, it was possible to inaugurate in Sant'Andrea the premises intended for the Ophthalmological Clinic, the Obstetric Clinic, the General Pathology Cabinet, the Institute of Physiology, and the Institute of Pharmacology. In Santa Patrizia, the works to accommodate the first and second Medical Clinics, the Surgical Clinic, and the Medical and Surgical Special Pathologies were almost completed when the Faculty suddenly requested to interrupt them, considering the premises inadequate for the needs of the Clinics, for which it proposed the construction of a Polyclinic.
20th century At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the prestige of the University of Naples increased, particularly in the scientific field: in the field of
genetics it was a pioneer, with the establishment of the first chair in Italy. After intense debate about the location of the Polyclinic, it was finally decided to place it in the historic center of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Faculty inaugurated its Polyclinic, which housed all the Medical and Surgical Clinics. The premises of Santa Patrizia were then completed to accommodate the Institutes of Human Anatomy, Pathological Anatomy, Forensic Medicine, Hygiene, and the Anatomical Museum. New difficulties of both building and organizational nature afflicted the university both during the
Fascist era and during the
World War II: in 1938, the presence of Nazi authorities led to the removal of Jewish professors and forced adherence to regime symbols, such as the
swastika. The central headquarters was set on fire by the Germans on 12 September 1943, and on the same day, a young sailor was executed on the main staircase of the University Palace; laboratories and scientific labs were requisitioned by the Allies. After the war, following the modern evolution of the university model in general, the University of Naples became the second most important university in Italy in terms of number of students, second only to the
Sapienza University of Rome. During the academic year 1972–1973, the University of Naples counted over 40,000 enrolled students and employed a workforce of 3,000 employees. On 7 September 1987, it assumed its current name as
University of Naples Federico II in anticipation of the establishment, in 1991, through its spin-off, of the
Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. The specialization school in oncology, affiliated with the first faculty of medicine and surgery, was established in October 1989, followed by the establishment of the school in ophthalmology in December 1992. On 16 October 1998, by decree of the Ministry of Public Education, University, Scientific and Technological Research (MURST) at the time, as part of a process of gradual organic separation within the university, the faculties of law, engineering, and science were divided into separate degree courses, including mathematics, physics, and natural sciences.
21st century On 17 September 2016, the new university complex in the Neapolitan neighborhood of San Giovanni a Teduccio was inaugurated. In 2017, the Nasa Space Apps Challenge took place at the aforementioned university complex, a 48-hour international hackathon dedicated to space technology and its terrestrial applications. In 2020, Rita Mastrullo became the first woman to hold the position of vice-rector. On 5 June 2021, the Federico II University Foundation was established, a non-profit organization aimed at fostering cultural, economic, and social development in the region and supporting the University in managing its institutional activities. In 2022, twelve out of the twenty-six departments of the university were recognized and included in the list of "Departments of Excellence" by the National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research System (ANVUR). In October of the same year, two university complexes were inaugurated: one in the Scampia district, located in the north of Naples, and another in the municipality of
Portici, specifically in the area known as Villa Ferretti. In 2023, the university commemorated its eighth century of history with a series of events and initiatives, highlighted by the inauguration of the 2023–2024 academic year, graced by the presence of the
President of Italy,
Sergio Mattarella. Additionally, during the same year, the Polo Nazionale di Trasferimento Tecnologico (National Technology Transfer Hub) was inaugurated. On 26 January 2024, the first Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Italy was established, with the presence of Tracy Roberts-Pounds, the
Consul General of the United States of America in Naples. In the same year, a team of engineers, cellular biologists, and physicists from the university, through the N2FXm project, in collaboration with the Molecular Oncology Foundation Institute in Milan and the
ETH Zurich, unveiled the osmo-mechanical regulation of nuclear volume in
mammalian cells. The article was published in the scientific journal
Nature. == Buildings and sites ==