Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
Encyclopedia
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, also known in Italian as Scuola Normale (English: Normal School), is a public higher learning institution in Italy
. It was founded in 1810, by Napoleonic
decree, as a branch of the École Normale Supérieure of Paris
. Since its foundation it has operated a highly selective student admission procedure, and its main goal was, during that period, essentially to form the best college and high school teachers. Recognized as a "national university" in 1862, one year after Italian unification
, and named during that period as "Normal School of the Kingdom of Italy". During the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini
, the philosopher Giovanni Gentile
enacted the reform that gave the Scuola its current structure; autonomy from the University of Pisa
was granted in 1932. After the war, the Normal School has become an entity separate from the University of Pisa
, with complete administrative, didactic and regulative freedom.
The Scuola, together with the University of Pisa
and with Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
, belongs to the Pisa University System
. It is one of the three officially sanctioned special-statute public universities in Italy, being part of the process of Superior Graduate School in Italy
or Scuola Superiore Universitaria.
Humanities
Sciences
The PhD programme, instead, is separate and completely independent of the degrees at the University of Pisa. The PhD course is called corso di perfezionamento, and the students are called perfezionandi. The perfezionamento, instituted in 1927, is much older than the PhD programme of the Italian public university, instituted in 1980.
, in Piazza dei Cavalieri
, in the medieval centre of Pisa.
Nowadays, students are housed in four dorms located nearby in the city.
rankings :
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was founded in 1810, by Napoleonic
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
decree, as a branch of the École Normale Supérieure of Paris
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
. Since its foundation it has operated a highly selective student admission procedure, and its main goal was, during that period, essentially to form the best college and high school teachers. Recognized as a "national university" in 1862, one year after Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, and named during that period as "Normal School of the Kingdom of Italy". During the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, the philosopher Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.- Life and thought :Giovanni...
enacted the reform that gave the Scuola its current structure; autonomy from the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
was granted in 1932. After the war, the Normal School has become an entity separate from the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
, with complete administrative, didactic and regulative freedom.
The Scuola, together with the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
and with Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa is a special-statute public university located in Pisa, Italy, operating in the field of applied sciences....
, belongs to the Pisa University System
Pisa University System
The Pisa University System is a network of higher education institutions in Pisa, Italy. The following three schools and universities belong to the system:* Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa* Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies* University of Pisa...
. It is one of the three officially sanctioned special-statute public universities in Italy, being part of the process of Superior Graduate School in Italy
Superior Graduate Schools in Italy
A Superior Graduate School is a completely independent institution from legal point of view, which offers advanced training and research through university-type courses or are dedicated to teaching at graduate or post-doctoral level.These state institutions offer recognized national and...
or Scuola Superiore Universitaria.
Fields of study
The Scuola Normale offers classes in both humanities and sciences. Currently the university offers the following classes :Humanities
- Ancient History and Classical Philology
- Italian Literature and Linguistics
- Art History and Archaeology
- History and Paleography
- Philosophy
Sciences
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Physics (PhD)
- Condensed Matter Physics (PhD)
- Molecular Biophysics (PhD)
- Mathematics (PhD)
- Mathematics for Finance and Business Technologies (PhD)
- Neurobiology (PhD)
- Molecular Biology (PhD)
- Chemistry (PhD)
Admission
In order to become a student at the Scuola Normale, or normalista, the candidate must pass an extremely selective admissions exam (there are only sixty candidates admitted out of nearly 1000 applicants on average every year), with questions covering the entire chosen field of study. The normalisti receive free housing, free lunches and dinners, and a monthly stipend.Teaching activities
The Scuola does not have a full programme of undergraduate and graduate studies; instead, the students follow the ordinary courses at the public University of Pisa, and complement them with additional classes and seminars taught by the professors of the Scuola Normale. The normalisti are required to score high marks in their exams at the public university (average marks of at least 27/30 and no mark below 24/30) in order to maintain their scholarship.The PhD programme, instead, is separate and completely independent of the degrees at the University of Pisa. The PhD course is called corso di perfezionamento, and the students are called perfezionandi. The perfezionamento, instituted in 1927, is much older than the PhD programme of the Italian public university, instituted in 1980.
Campus
The Scuola Normale is located in its original historical building, called Palazzo della CarovanaPalazzo della Carovana
Palazzo della Carovana is a palace in Knights' Square, Pisa, Italy, presently housing the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa....
, in Piazza dei Cavalieri
Knights' Square (Pisa)
The Knights’ Square is one of the most important landmarks in Pisa, Italy, and the second main square of the city. This square was the political centre in medieval Pisa. After the middle of 16th century the square become the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St...
, in the medieval centre of Pisa.
Nowadays, students are housed in four dorms located nearby in the city.
Rankings
Pisa University SystemPisa University System
The Pisa University System is a network of higher education institutions in Pisa, Italy. The following three schools and universities belong to the system:* Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa* Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies* University of Pisa...
rankings :
- The Academic Ranking of World UniversitiesAcademic Ranking of World UniversitiesThe Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually...
puts this system at the firstFirstFirst or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
place in Italy (National Rank # 1) and within the best 30 universities in Europe. - Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna has also been mapped by Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings as one of the most important educational institutions in Italy (section on Italy i.e. Top universities and specialisms), having its Graduate/Postgraduate Profile.
- Also, Sant'Anna School of Advanced StudiesSant'Anna School of Advanced StudiesThe Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa is a special-statute public university located in Pisa, Italy, operating in the field of applied sciences....
, together with Scuola Normale Superiore are named as leading institutions in Italy's six top higher education institutes by Times Higher Education World University RankingsTimes Higher Education World University RankingsThe Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
. - According to QS World University RankingsQS World University RankingsThe QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
, Sant'Anna School of Advanced StudiesSant'Anna School of Advanced StudiesThe Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa is a special-statute public university located in Pisa, Italy, operating in the field of applied sciences....
and Scuola Normale Superiore are part of the initiative "Invest Your Talent in Italy" which puts Italian graduate programmes on the world's stage. - The European Research Ranking, a ranking based on publicly available data from the European Commission database puts Pisa University SystemPisa University SystemThe Pisa University System is a network of higher education institutions in Pisa, Italy. The following three schools and universities belong to the system:* Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa* Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies* University of Pisa...
among the best in Italy and best performing European research institutions.
Famous graduated alumni
- Enrico FermiEnrico FermiEnrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
, physicist and Nobel prize winner - Carlo RubbiaCarlo RubbiaCarlo Rubbia Knight Grand Cross is an Italian particle physicist and inventor who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984 with Simon van der Meer for work leading to the discovery of the W and Z particles at CERN.-Biography:...
, physicist and Nobel prize winner - Giosuè CarducciGiosuè CarducciGiosuè Alessandro Michele Carducci was an Italian poet and teacher. He was very influential and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906 he became the first Italian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...
, poet and Nobel prize winner - Lamberto CesariLamberto CesariLamberto Cesari was an Italian mathematician naturalized in the United States.- Biography :...
, mathematician - Carlo Azeglio CiampiCarlo Azeglio Ciampidr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...
, economist & politician, former Governor of the Banca d'Italia, former Prime Minister of Italy, former President of the Italian Republic, life senator - Carlo GinzburgCarlo GinzburgCarlo Ginzburg is a noted historian and proponent of the field of microhistory. He is best known for his Il formaggio e I vermi which examined the beliefs of an Italian heretic, Menocchio, from Montereale Valcellina.- Biography :The son of Natalia Ginzburg and Leone Ginzburg, he was born...
, historian - Ennio de GiorgiEnnio de Giorgi-References:. The first paper about SBV functions and related variational problems.. The first note published by De Giorgi describing his approach to Caccioppoli sets.. The first complete exposition by De Giorgi of the theory of Caccioppoli sets.. An advanced text, oriented to the theory of minimal...
, mathematician, solved the 19th Hilbert problemHilbert's nineteenth problemHilbert's nineteenth problem is one of the 23 Hilbert problems set out in a celebrated list compiled in 1900 by David Hilbert. It asks whether the solutions of regular problems in the calculus of variations are always analytic.-History:...
, won Wolf Prize (1990) - Giovanni GronchiGiovanni GronchiGiovanni Gronchi was a Christian Democratic Italian politician who became the third President of the Italian Republic in 1955, after Luigi Einaudi...
, politician, former President of the Republic of Italy - Giovanni GentileGiovanni GentileGiovanni Gentile was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.- Life and thought :Giovanni...
, philosopher and politician - Vito VolterraVito VolterraVito Volterra was an Italian mathematician and physicist, known for his contributions to mathematical biology and integral equations....
, mathematician - Guido FubiniGuido FubiniGuido Fubini was an Italian mathematician, known for Fubini's theorem and the Fubini–Study metric.Born in Venice, he was steered towards mathematics at an early age by his teachers and his father, who was himself a teacher of mathematics...
, mathematician - Luigi BianchiLuigi Bianchi- External links :* offers translations of some of Bianchi's papers, plus a biography of Bianchi.* PDF copy at * * * *...
, mathematician - Leonida TonelliLeonida TonelliLeonida Tonelli was an Italian mathematician, most noted for creating Tonelli's theorem, usually considered a forerunner to Fubini's theorem.-External links:...
, mathematician - Jiyuan YuJiyuan YuJiyuan Yu is a moral philosopher noted for his work on virtue ethics. Yu has been a Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York since 1997. Prior to his professorship, Yu completed a three year post as a research fellow at the University of Oxford,...
, philosopher
External links
- Scuola Normale Superiore official website (in Italian & English)
- Data sheet about the 2009/2010 academic year, il Sole 24 oreIl Sole 24 OreIl Sole 24 Ore is an Italian national daily business newspaper owned by Confindustria, the Italian employers' federation.It was founded on 1965-11-09 as a merger between Il Sole, founded in 1865, and 24 Ore, founded in 1946. The headquarters are in Milan...
, 4 May 2010 (in Italian) - Which future for the Scuola Normale, il Sole 24 oreIl Sole 24 OreIl Sole 24 Ore is an Italian national daily business newspaper owned by Confindustria, the Italian employers' federation.It was founded on 1965-11-09 as a merger between Il Sole, founded in 1865, and 24 Ore, founded in 1946. The headquarters are in Milan...
, 4 May 2010 (in Italian)
See also
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced StudiesSant'Anna School of Advanced StudiesThe Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa is a special-statute public university located in Pisa, Italy, operating in the field of applied sciences....
- Pisa University SystemPisa University SystemThe Pisa University System is a network of higher education institutions in Pisa, Italy. The following three schools and universities belong to the system:* Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa* Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies* University of Pisa...
- University of PisaUniversity of PisaThe University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
- List of Italian universities
- École Normale SupérieureÉcole Normale SupérieureThe École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
- PisaPisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...