University of Rome La Sapienza (Italian Universit\'à degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza") is the largest European university and the most ancient of Rome's three public universities. In Italian, Sapienza means "wisdom" or "knowledge".
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 Eugene IV introduced a new tax on wine, in order to raise funds for the university; the money was used to buy a palace that later hosted the Sant'Ivo church, "La Sapienza."
In 1870, La Sapienza stopped being the papal university and became the university of the capital of Italy. In 1935, the new university campus, planned by Marcello Piacentini, was completed.
In the academic year 2006/7, La Sapienza has 21 faculties to its 138,000 students and is the largest university in Western Europe. It has many locations in Rome, but is mainly situated in the Città Universitaria, near Termini Station.
University of Rome La Sapienza (Italian Universit\'à degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza") is the largest European university and the most ancient of Rome's three public universities. In Italian, Sapienza means "wisdom" or "knowledge".
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