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A short history of the university

The University of Salerno has very ancient origins as it is one of the oldest universities in Europe together with Paris and Bologna.


The Salerno School of Medicine was founded in the 8th century and was the principal institution in Europe for the study of medecine, reaching its utmost splendour during the Middle Ages. The School marked an enormous step forward in the evolution of medical science and easily fitted into the city of Salerno, which had been thriving economically and culturally since it had been part of Magna Graecia.


The university remained active until 1811, when it was closed by royal decree under the Napoleonic government of Joachim Murat.
In 1944 the university was re-opened by king Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Istituto Universitario di Magistero "Giovanni Cuomo" was founded, which became state-controlled in 1968 as the Facoltà di Magistero of the University of Salerno.


Within a few years other faculties were founded and they formed the basis of an important university. In 1988, the University, which now has over 43,000 students, moved to the village of Fisciano in the Irno valley, a few miles from Salerno. Its structure is that of a university campus and its modern buildings offer many efficient services for teaching, research and student life in general.


The University of Salerno, one of the largest in southern Italy, is still growing. The presence of multimedia facilities, halls of residence, a modern library, as well as places to meet and eat, and green spaces make it an eccellent university college and a pleasant place to study.