Studies on the History of the University and Higher Education in Italy: between Historiographical Review and New Research Perspectives

Abstract

This paper intends to retrace the most significant phases of Italian university historiography from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. In particular, it underlines the relevant role played by a number of national research centres and the initiatives to coordinate the work of Italian scholars dealing with the history of higher education. The contribution also demonstrates how, over time, the lines of research in the field of university history have broadened, even in an interdisciplinary and international perspective. From the early research promoted above all in relation to the medieval and modern period, there is now a preference for studies on the contemporary era, capable of highlighting the role of the various university seats with reference to the local context and the socio-economic, political and cultural development of our country.