Italy: University of Bologna
- Matthew P G
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
July 2017
“The School of Bologna was established independently, it arose and stood out as a private school.” It was with these words that Carducci celebrated the birth of the Alma Mater Studiorum, during celebrations for its 8th Centenary in 1888. The prophet-poet himself admitted the artificiality of the centenary, as he acknowledged that it was impossible to determine the exact date it was founded, given that the Studium of Bologna was not established at the behest of a sovereign or an organised group of teachers, but was the outcome of the spontaneous and informal initiative of a few students. It was precisely thanks to them that Bologna quickly became known not only as “La Dotta” (The Learned) but also as “La Grassa” (The Fat) city. It was a rich and powerful medieval metropolis, capable of attracting and accommodating hundreds of wealthy young people, who brought with them not only books and servants but also a substantial amount of money.
On my week of wandering down Bologna's old streets, I found myself inside the University of Bologna - literally by accident. The university is completely interwoven into the fabric of the old city. It does not have parklike campus, it is set amidst a collection of buildings dating from a variety of historical ages. Most of it is open to the public so I wandered some of the halls - wow.
Although the university itself admits that in spite of an auspicious and early start it did fall on "academic hard times" when it was no longer such a great institution, it has gotten beyond that. The University of Bologna is once again one of the premier institutes of higher education in Italy and Europe. Wandering those corridors, seeing classrooms in courtyards dating from the Renaissance - what would it have been like to study there?
Although I loved the University of Salamanca, it cannot compare to Bologna. In all my travels, I think it is the place where I wished I could have turned back time and do it all over again. In fact, one of my Georgetown classmates, Tim C., has a son studying there. I learned about that with a huge pinch of envy.
If I hadn't already fallen in love with Bologna, stumbling upon the university just confirmed everything for me. A well-known city in Italy with few visitors, I definitely had found my favorite place. Oh to have a time machine....
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