University of Pisa, Pisa

Founded in 1343 by papal decree, the University of Pisa is one of the oldest universities in Europe and an essential part of the city’s identity. Over the centuries it has developed into a major center of learning, attracting scholars from across Italy and beyond. The institution is also linked to the creation of the Botanical Garden, recognized as the world’s oldest academic botanical garden.

One of its most historic buildings is the Palace of Wisdom, built in the late 15th century as a central place for teaching and academic life. Located near Wheat Square, the palace features the Gate of Abundance, marked by a carved cherub that later became a symbol of the university itself.

Among the university’s many notable figures, Galileo Galilei remains the most celebrated. He arrived to the city as a student in 1581 intending to study medicine but soon turned toward mathematics and natural philosophy. Supported by the Medici family, he later returned as a professor of mathematics, developing early ideas about motion during his years here before leaving for Padua in 1592.

In a letter to his student and collaborator Benedetto Castelli, Galileo later reflected, “From the beginning of my studies, I felt a great aversion toward the common opinions in philosophy, and I resolved to examine matters for myself.” And examine matters he did. Nowhere is that spirit more vividly captured than in his experiment at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, where he is said to have dropped two objects of different weight to challenge the long-held belief that heavier bodies fall faster than lighter ones.

Over the centuries, the University of Pisa has educated an impressive number of influential figures, including five popes, five Italian prime ministers, and three Nobel Prize winners, demonstrating the university’s lasting impact far beyond the city of Pisa itself.