The university received a charter from Frederick I Barbarossa in 1158 , but in the 19th century , a committee of historians led by Giosuè Carducci traced the founding of the University back to 1088 , which would make it the oldest continuously-operating university in the world .
In the 19th century , a committee of historians traced the founding of the University back to 1088 , which would make it the oldest continuous university in the world .