Page 108 - Grasp English B2 (Student Book)

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History The Oldest Universities

A. Discuss with a partner.
1. Do you live in an area with a lot of historical
significance?
2. What areas of your country have been
important in history?

Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the oldest
university that has continuously accepted students
since it opened. In the beginning, it only offered courses
in canon and civil law, which were, unsurprisingly for
the time, only available to male scholars. However, the
university did attract students from around Europe, as at
the time it was the only institute of higher education in
existence. At the start of the 13 century, it also began
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offering courses in medicine and philosophy and in
modern times has a wider variety of subjects on offer,
such as Environmental Engineering or Communication
Sciences.
Since the 18 century, it has also admitted female
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scholars and teachers; however, there is a legend that
a woman named Bettisia Gozzadini gave lectures from to found - to establish or open
behind a curtain at an earlier point. She is said to have canon law - religious law relating to
attended the university dressed as a man in order to Christianity
complete her law degree there in the mid-13 century scholar - student
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and then was offered a teaching position. There are legend - an old story
two possible reasons for her decision to lecture in
curtain - a piece of fabric which covers a
such a way: some believe her dazzling beauty was window
a distraction to the students, others argue that the
sight of any woman lecturing at the time would have dazzling - impressive, incredible
distracted the students. campus - an area of a university, with
Nowadays, there are plenty of women on the university’s classroom buildings and sometimes
accommodation
staff of over 5,000, and around 85,000 students enrolled
on their various courses across five campuses in the courtyard - an open inner patio of a
region. The Archiginnasio, a palace built in 1563 as one building
of the main university buildings, now houses the library coat of arms - a decorative image
and when walking around the courtyard, you can showing a family emblem
marvel at the coats of arms painted on the ceiling.

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