University of Rome La Sapienza (Universitą della Sapienza) is the most ancient university of Rome, Italy. It is one of the city's three universities. In Italian, Sapienza means 'wisdom'.
La Sapienza was founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, as a Studium for ecclesiastical studies more under his control than the universities of Bologna and Padua.
In 1431, Pope Eugenius IV introduces a new tax on wine, in order to raise funds for the university; the money is used to buy a palace next to St. Eusthachius, which will be later called "La Sapienza".
In 1870 it stopped being the papal university and became the university of the capital of Italy. In 1935, the new university campus, planned under Mussolini, was completed.
Currently, La Sapienza offers 21 faculties to its 147,000 students. and is the largest university in western Europe. It has many locations in Rome, but is mainly situated in the Cittą Universitaria, near Roma Termini station.
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