Ca' Foscari, the history of the prestigious University of Venice

Not every student in the world is lucky enough to be able to study overlooking one of Venice's canals. Those at Ca' Foscari University do. Let's look back at the history of one of Italy's outstanding universities.

Founded in 1869 under the name of Scuola Superiore di Commercio, Ca' Foscari University was the first Italian institution dedicated to higher education in business, economics, and languages. The founders of the school were Luigi Luzzatti, Edoardo Deodati and Francesco Ferrara. On the other hand, Venice is known to have been one of the commercial powers during the years of the Republic, many dynasties of merchants distinguished themselves for their ability to trade with foreign countries up to. This important cultural heritage culminated in the founding of the University. The school aimed to train the traders of the future through theoretical and practical lessons. In the early years, there were three main courses of study: consular, economic and magistral.

During the First World War, the school was temporarily transferred to Pisa. In 1935, with the birth of the economics and business course, the institute officially became a state university and in the following years expanded its educational offerings. During the Second World War, many Italian cities were bombed, but fortunately Venice was not one of them. The city remained a safe place and Ca' Foscari did not interrupt its activities. In the years following the Second World War, the teaching of foreign languages was expanded. At present, the university provides teaching in forty-one languages.

The historic Palazzo Ca' Foscari (also known as Palazzo Foscari) is one of the most fascinating Gothic buildings in Venice. It is located in the Dorsoduro district and overlooks the Grand Canal. It is the main seat of the university and has a 600-year history. In 1429, the palace was called Casa delle Due Torri and was bought by the Republic of Venice. It was put up for auction in 1452 and bought by Doge Francesco Foscari, who added the building to his personal estate. After Foscari's death, the palace became the residence of the Republic's guests. Foreign sovereigns and diplomats from all over the world resided in the palace, which remained the property of the Foscari family. Today it is the seat of the university of the same name, which has made some of its most beautiful rooms accessible to the public. Among the architectural beauties of the palace, the entrance portal deserves a special mention. Made of Istrian stone, it has a rectangular shape in the lower part and an arched shape in the upper part in which the Foscari family coat of arms is placed. In 2013, Palazzo Ca' Foscari became the oldest building to receive LEED certification, a prestigious award given to environmentally sustainable buildings.

Other locations of the University are: San Giobbe, where a large campus dedicated to the Faculty of Economics has been established. Ca' Bembo, a historic building in the Dorsoduro district dating back to the 16th century. Ca' Bernardo, a Venetian civil building not far from the headquarters. Ca' Cappello and Palazzo Vendramin, some of the city's most famous buildings.