From the post Unification years to the controversial phase of the Gentile reform; from the democratic re-building of the post second world war period to the 'season' of contestation in nineteen sixty-eight: the contents of this volume “Per una storia dell'Università di Pisa” (For a history of the University of Pisa) edited by Romano Paolo Coppini and Alessandro Breccia (Bologna, Clueb, 2010) nearly arrive at the events of today. It was presented at the end of March in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Law. This volume, as well as, giving a significant contribution for knowledge ( still not systematised ) of the history of the University in the contemporary age, offers a general picture of Pisa University and its role as one of the most important centres for scientific elaboration in the country and a privileged place with civil, social and political training.
After Professor Marco Guidi's greetings from the University of Pisa's Chancellor and from Lucia Tomasi Tongiorgi (the Chancellor's culture relating delegate), Sandro Rogari from the University of Florence, Antonio Cardini from the University of Siena and Marco Collareta from the University of Pisa all gave talks. The event was introduced and coordinated by Gian Paolo Brizzi from the University of Bologna.
The essays contained in the volume critically present the evolutionary political positions of the University after the Italian Unification. They touch upon both the normative and institutional themes of the evolution, as well as those relating to the city of Pisa, the Tuscan territory, other Pisan University Centres and civil society articulated as a complex whole. Particularly appealing for its breadth and for the complexity of reconstruction is the section on the subjects of study and research, on the schools of thought and on personages who have characterised the last hundred and fifty years and from whom an extraordinary variety of excellence, which has characterised the life of the University in every field, emerge in humanistic, scientific and social sciences studies.
This volume is the monographic insert dedicated to the history of Italian Universities hosted by the “Annali di storia delle università italiane” (Historic annals of Italian Universities), an annual periodical publication which allows for and provides points of discussion and information on the world of universities in Italy.