Frederick II founds the University of Naples,…
1224 CE
Frederick II founds the University of Naples, the first European state university, in 1224.
It is today the most ancient state-supported institution of higher education and research in the world.
Fredrick II has precise objectives in founding the university in Naples: first, to train administrative and skilled bureaucratic professionals for the curia regis (the kingdom's ministries and governing apparatus), also, it is necessary to prepare lawyers and judges who will help the sovereign to draft laws and administer justice.
Secondly, he wants to facilitate the cultural development of promising young students and scholars, avoiding any unnecessary and expensive trips abroad (by creating a State University, emperor Frederick avoids having young students during his reign complete their training at the University of Bologna, which is in a city that is hostile to the imperial power.