ITALIAN UNIVERSITIES. During the Middle Ages the university movement had its origin and received its greatest impulse from Italy. The importance of Bologna in this respect has been discussed under the section on .11rdiwrnl Universities. Again, during the fifteenth and sixteenth] centuries the Italian universities were the most important centres in all Europe of the new humanistic studies. While the new methods and subjects of study introduced by these Italian universities produced a complete aeademic revo lution and paved the way for the Reformation, they possessed a fortunate immunity from dis sensions like those which distracted the centres of learning in Northern Europe, especially Ger many. The status of the professors in Italy was higher than in any other country. Never theless the universities suffered greatly from the general decline of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and did not recover with the early nine teenth, as did those of the Northern European countries. While they preserved their ancient organization and local independence, they suf fered both from a great decrease of revenue and from the political disturbances of the Italian States. After the political unification of Italy in 1870 the Government nationalized the universi ties. by assuming their support and manage ment and confiscating their property. Since that
time the universities are included as a com ponent part of the public system of education. There are seventeen of these State univer sities and four• free universities—that is, supported by the local districts and muni cipalities. Consequently the opportunities for higher education are very much in excess of the needs of the population. Very few of these uni versities possess theological faculties, and the theological studies are little valued. Education for the Church is given in seminaries controlled by the Church and in its ecclesiastical character is most complete. The theological schools of Rome draw students from all quarters of the world, and in conjunction with them there is a system of national colleges for the students of the several countries. Faculties of philosophy do not exist in the free universities and are poorly attended in the State institutions. The faculties of medicine and of law possess an overwhelming preponderance of all students. The State uni versities are those of Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Genoa, Nacerata, Messina, Modena, Naples, Padua, Palermo, Parma, Pavia, Pisa, Rome, Sasseri, Siena, and Turin. The free universities are those of Camerino, Ferrara, Perugia, and Urbino.