  the university of genoa () is one of the largest universities in italy. located in liguria on the italian riviera, the university was founded in 1481. it currently has about 40,000 students, 1,800 teaching and research staff and about 1,580 administrative staff. ==campus== thumb|left|200px|school of humanities the university of genoa is organized in several independent campuses located in different city areas. notable buildings are the main university premises (via balbi, 5) designed by the architect bartolomeo bianco and built in 1640, the new complex in valletta puggia, built in the 1980s and 1990s and hosting the departments of chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics, and the new seat of facoltÃ  di economia, realized in 1996 by refurbishing old seaport docks. the university's botanical garden, the orto botanico dell'universitÃ  di genova, occupies one hectare in the city center, just above the university's main building. the university of genoa also has a number of regional campuses in savona, imperia, santa margherita ligure, ventimiglia and la spezia. == history == already in the 13th century in genoa there were colleges which conferred degrees in law, theology, medicine and arts. the college of theology was established officially in 1471 with a papal bull of sixtus iv (francesco della rovere). some years after dates the promulgation of a statute of the college of medicine by the council of the elders in 1481. in 1569, by a decree of the senate of republic of genoa, the colleges were incorporated into the schools run by the jesuits. the jesuits settled near the old church of san girolamo del rosso, and enlarged their premises by buying some land on which to house their college and schools. the building, which is now the main university premises, was designed by the architect bartolomeo bianco, and began to be used in 1640. after the suppression of the society of jesus in 1773, a special committee reorganized the various courses of study, dividing them in higher education (canon law, philosophy, civil law, theology, logic and metaphysics, physics) and primary education (courses in rhetoric, reading and writing). after the
1471_establishments Buildings_and_structures_in_Genoa Educational_institutions_established_in_the_15th_century Universities_in_Italy University_of_Genoa