Description of the attraction
The University of Bologna is the oldest university in Europe and one of the oldest in the world. Only Al-Karaouin University in the Moroccan city of Fez can compete with him. Among the most famous graduates of the University of Bologna are Torquato Tasso, Nicolaus Copernicus, Carlo Goldoni, Albrecht Durer and others.
The exact date of the foundation of the University of Bologna is unknown, but it has been reliably established that already in the 11th century in Bologna there was a school of "liberal arts", in which rhetoric and Roman law were taught. The first teacher of law was a certain Irnerius - he began lecturing in 1088 at the request of Countess Matilda, the former owner of Tuscany and part of Lombardy.
Two centuries later, the law school in Bologna gained European fame, including thanks to the patronage of the German emperor Frederick I. Under him, all students who studied Roman law could travel freely around the continent under the protection of the imperial authority, and only professors or bishops could judge them. In those years, these advantages were of great help in increasing the flow of students. In addition, people from northern Europe were attracted by the mild climate of the city and its general development and livability. Not only young people became students, but also respectable fathers of families, including the offspring of royal families. A unique feature of the university was its openness to women. At the same time, for admission, it was required to confirm their knowledge and intention to study - belonging to a noble family was not taken into account. The student association chose its own leaders, to whom the professors were also subordinate. In the XIV century, the university already had three independent faculties - legal, theological and medical. However, then a period of decline began, which lasted until the 19th century - the reason for this was the emergence of universities in many other cities in Italy and Europe. The university was seriously damaged during the Napoleonic wars - then even the furniture was burned by the warlike French!
Today, the University of Bologna is no longer among the top ten world universities, but it still remains one of the main in Europe. He maintains academic ties with many educational institutions on all continents and participates in a variety of student exchange programs.
The real asset of the University of Bologna is its library, which was founded in 1605. It contains about 250 thousand books and more than 1300 periodicals. You should also pay attention to the Botanical Garden of the University - "Orto Botanico". It was founded in 1568 and today is considered one of the oldest in Europe. On an area of 2 hectares, there are about 5 thousand plants belonging to 1200 species. Here you can see succulent plants brought from Central and South America, Africa, the Canary Islands and Madagascar. The Tropical Garden is home to bromeliads and orchids, a coffee tree and palm trees, and a variety of medicinal herbs. Trees typical of Central and Southern Europe are planted throughout the garden, as well as predatory plants and typical alpine flora.
