- June 5, 1224
The World's Oldest University by Decree: University of Naples “Federico II”
The University of Naples Federico II boasts ancient origins, dating back to June 5, 1224, when Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, also the King of Sicily, issued an edict establishing the institution. Unlike Bologna and other cities, Naples' university was founded through an imperial decree, aiming to form the necessary leadership groups for state governance.
Naples remained the only southern city with a university until after the Unification of Italy, contributing to its demographic growth and its status as a capital city. Notable figures like Giovanni Boccaccio and Francesco Petrarca studied in Naples. - 1734The late 17th century saw a wide resurgence of academic institutions, fostering the development of sciences and the dissemination of innovative European thought. After the advent of Carlo di Borbone in 1734 the institution estavblished the chair of "meccanica e di commercio," or political economy, the first in Europe.
- 1806 - 1815The university underwent radical and largely irreversible transformations during the French Decade (1806-1815) under Giuseppe Bonaparte and Gioacchino Murat. The new University comprised five faculties, letters and philosophy, mathematics and physics, medicine, law, and theology, and the School of Bridges and Roads. Associated with the University were the astronomical observatory, the botanical garden, the museums of mineralogy and zoology, as well as the medical-ceramic college at the Hospital of the Incurables and the obstetric clinic. The veterinary school, initially founded by Ferdinando IV in 1798, was reinstated by Murat in 1812. The University reopened its doors to scientists and scholars forced into exile after the revolutionary events of 1799.
- 1943 - 1946At the beginning of the Twentieth Century the University “Federico II” was at the forefront of the scientific research and teaching, as testified, for example by however, that especially the General Relativity course offered by the well known mathematician Roberto Marcolongo at the Institute of Mathematics of the University of Naples, one of the first in the world on the subject.
The University faced significant challenges during the Second World War, with laboratories and scientific cabinets requisitioned by the Allies. The central building on Corso Umberto was set ablaze by the Germans on September 12, 1943. In 1944, the new rector, Adolfo Omodeo, who later passed away in 1946, started the reinassaince of the University. - 1951 - 1952Subsequent rectors, including Gaetano Quagliariello and Ernesto Pontieri, faced the monumental task of reconstruction in the post-war era. The student population surged from 14398 in 1940-41 to 26514 in 1951-52. Restructuring, restoration, and the construction of new facilities characterized university policy in the following decades.
- 1970By the 1970s, the University of Naples had become a mega-university with ten faculties, two hospitals, around 75,000 students, and more than half enrolled in Medicine, Law, and Sciences.
- 1808
The Foundation of the Engineering Faculty
In the renowned "French Decade" at the beginning of the 19th century, two French kings succeeded each other on the throne of the Kingdom of Naples. The first was Giuseppe Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, who ruled until 1808 when he moved to Spain.
He was followed by his brother-in-law, Gioacchino Murat, who reigned until 1815. During this period, the city underwent significant modernization and was redesigned through projects and urban transformations initiated by the young sovereign. - 1811The abolition of feudalism, the introduction of the modern state and civil code, and the establishment of a modern state organization with new intendances, tribunals, provincial offices marked the decade. Also the University underwent reforms, and through the School of Bridges and Roads, the current Faculty of Engineering was established.
The Scuola di Applicazione in Ponti e Strade (School of Application in Bridges and Roads), as it was called at its inception, was founded on March 4, 1811. The decree of establishment was signed by Gioacchino Murat, who, having married Napoleon's sister, Carolina Bonaparte, preferred to sign as Gioacchino Bonaparte. The manuscript, preserved in the State Archives of Naples, attests to the birth of Italy's first non-military school, modeled after the French École d'Application des ponts et Chaussées. - 1814Initially, only 12 students were admitted to the School. The admission test was highly selective, requiring knowledge of "all pure mathematics" and "statics applied to the equilibrium of the simplest machines." The first "graduates" emerged in 1814, with Luigi Giura among them. At just 19 years old, he was the most brilliant student and pursued a brilliant career. Sent on a study trip to England, France, and other Italian states, Giura brought back the best scientific ideas from Europe and several crates of precious books, now part of the "Libri antichi" (ancient books) section of the Faculty of Engineering at Piazzale Tecchio.
- 1860Giura went on to design Italy's first suspended bridge over the Garigliano River, followed by a similar bridge on the Calore River, and oversee the construction of the Naples-Portici railway, the first railway in Italy. He became the Director of the School and continued his career in the Corps of Engineers, ultimately being chosen in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi as the first Minister of Public Works. The legacy of engineers graduated at our University continues with Francesco Paolo Boubeè, who designed significant metal structures like the roof of the Umberto I Gallery; Carlo Luigi Ricci, a prominent scholar of structural mechanics; and Giulio Krall, a distinguished mathematician and engineer. These figures were instrumental in establishing the prestige of structural engineering within the Faculty of Engineering, which was founded alongside the Faculty of Architecture in 1935. In more recent times, the cultural tradition of the Neapolitan School of Structural Engineering was greatly enriched by the scientific contributions of Adriano Galli, an extraordinary mentor and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and his students, Vincenzo Franciosi, Elio Giangreco, and Aldo Raithel. Similarly, new impetus was given to Civil Engineering by Girolamo Ippolito and his students Michele Viparelli (Hydraulic Engineering), Arrigo Croce (Geotechnical Engineering) and Luigi Mendia (Sanitary-Environmental Engineering) and, in the field of Road and Transportation Engineering, by Luigi Tocchetti.
- 2024Today
Civil and Environmental Engineering today
Following the abolition of faculties in 2010, the departments from the former Faculties of Engineering and Architecture, including the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, were integrated into the Polytechnic and Basic Sciences School, founded in 2013. This reorganization aimed to unify and streamline academic activities within the university, preserving the rich traditions of engineering and architecture while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration within the broader scientific and technical community. In this fertile environment, the new Bachelor's Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with an international vocation was born.
