University of Pisa

As one of the most ancient universities in Europe, the University of Pisa was officially founded in 1343 by Pope Clement VI, with the edict “In supremae dignitatis”, but some lectures on law had been held there since 11th century. During its long history, the University of Pisa has had some famous students and professors like: Giosuè Carducci (poet and Nobel Prize winner), Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (former President of the Italian Republic), Pope Clement XII, Galileo Galilei (famous scientist, who was student and then professor), Carlo Rubbia (physicist and Nobel Prize winner), etc. At the University of Pisa, the first degree in Computer Science and the first PhD in the field were born, respectively in 1969 and in 1983.
Nowadays, the University has 20 Departments, 17 libraries, 13 museums and collections, and, on December 31, 2016, it counted more than 50.000 students, 1.295 professors and a total of 1.537 technicians, clerks and secretaries.
In the academic year 2016/2017, 58 bachelor’s degree courses, 65 master’s degree programmes, 9 single-cycle degree courses and 21 PhD courses were present.

The Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Pisa organizes research activities and students’ formation in the veterinary, agriculture and biological fields.

The actual headquarters of the department, located in Viale delle Piagge 2, was inaugurated in 1965 and includes offices, classrooms, a library and the museum of veterinary anatomy.
On March 1^st, 2000, the first building of the Department of Veterinary Clinic in San Piero a Grado (Pisa) was opened, and nowadays it houses a 24H University Veterinary Hospital. The structure named Podere le Querciole is also present in San Piero a Grado. It is another detached unit of the veterinary department, where the Aviculture University Chair and the University Small Species Research and Breeding Station are located since the ‘70s. In this structure, researchers perform investigations on small species (chickens, rabbits, ducks, hares, and wild fowls) performances and work on conservation of Italian local chicken breeds.
Nowadays, four local chicken breeds are preserved and studied at the research center: Livorno, Siciliana, Ancona and Robusta Lionata.
Among these, Siciliana and Livorno are at the moment under evaluation on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.

Project leader
Dr.  Margherita Marzoni
Department of Veterinary Science
Viale delle Piagge, 2 – 56124 Pisa
e-mail: margherita.marzoni@unipi.it