For those who are not just looking for a house to buy but want to live an immersive experience in a territory symbol of Tuscan history and culture, choosing Lucca and its surroundings – an area only a few kilometres away from the most representative institutions of higher-level university education – is a goal.
The perception of living in a territory rich in history is ensured, among other things, by the presence of some of the main Italian university centres: centres that offer a high level of academic education, that boast ancient origins, and that have contributed to enhancing the value of the territories hosting them.
But let us delve in depth into the subject, for more insight into the territory.
A territory to discover, close to the main Italian universities.
Among the many characteristics that make the area of Lucca a very pleasant place to live is that it is immersed in a context steeped in history and culture.
Not only does the city have so much to tell on its own, but the surrounding area, too, has a lot to contribute in terms of value and quality of life, especially if one prefers a stimulating and lively context from a cultural point of view.
Lucca's fortunate geographical position facilitates traveling to nearby cities, famous for being centres of art and culture.
In the case in point, Pisa and Florence are considered symbolic cities not only of Italian artistic heritage but above all of university education: here, there are excellent research and development centres that deal with projects of international scope.
For this reason, the proximity to the main universities renowned worldwide represents a value that makes northern Tuscany an exceptional area.
The added value of local presence: the case of the University of Pisa.
Choosing to live in locations close to, or with easy access to, the most prestigious universities of Tuscany is a great plus to consider when buying property. The enormous potential in terms of wealth and development represented by these institutions is placed at the service of the progress of the territory.
Censis (Italian Center for Social Investment Studies) found that the Tuscan university system has recorded high standards in various avant-garde sectors, i.e. medical and engineering, resulting at the top tier in Italy, obtaining excellent performance in terms of research and teaching.
Foundational is the willingness of universities to collaborate with local businesses to invest in their future, an idea that has become concrete, for example, in Pisa, where, over the years, important milestones have been achieved in the health area, thanks to PhDs. The university hospital works synergistically with the university itself, which, in turn, boasts an ancient origin – from the 13th century, to be precise. Initially founded and managed by religious orders that dealt with caring for the sick, in the 19th century the hospital became an autonomous entity linked to an official School of Medicine, i.e., the Scuola Normale Superiore, designated for the training of physicians and surgeons. In 1870 the hospital came under the aegis of the university.
Currently, the Polyclinic of Pisa boasts numerous internationally recognized areas of excellence: some departments are acknowledged as the best in the world for the foresight of having developed surgical techniques that have become standard, such as robotic surgery.
University excellence in Tuscany: the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Istituto Sant'Anna.
What confirms the excellence of Tuscan universities in 2023 is their ability to align with the issues of contemporary reality, developing innovative research projects that can interpret the needs of concrete and functional methodologies.
Pisa, in addition to the famous Piazza dei Miracoli, is also renowned for hosting two historical universities: the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, the flagships of Italian universities, located less than a kilometre from the Piazza itself.
The Normale, whose headquarters are located in Piazza dei Cavalieri in Pisa, precisely inside the Palazzo della Carovana dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano, was founded on the example of the Parisian École Normale at the beginning of the 19th century through a Napoleonic decree, which established housing in Pisa for university students.
The university owes its name "Normale" to its primary educational purpose, i.e., to give citizens methodological "norms" for studying. The institution has witnessed many sequences of events, dictated by the succession of historical situations over the centuries.
In the 1960s, the Scuola Normale witnessed the birth of other universities, from which a new regulation emerged that elected it as an institute of higher education for pure disciplines. Today, the university’s educational programme is divided into three macro-areas: Literature and Philosophy, Science, and Political Science, which are accessed through a rigorous selective system based exclusively on merit. Students must comply with strict study obligations but are reimbursed expenses and annual tuition, which also applies to projects involving periods of stay abroad.
Students at all levels live a very formative growth experience thanks to a continuous interaction and dialogue between students and professors.
Historically, the educational offer of the Normale does not include the legal and medical sphere, a decision that has favoured the start-up process that led to the birth of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies). Relatively recently founded, the School has been part of special-statute further education institutions since 1987. Fruit of renovation and requalification work on the building that resulted in more expansive spaces, the complex that houses the School is an ancient Benedictine monastery dating back to the 14th century. In 2006, the Associazione degli Allievi (Students' Association) was founded with the scope of organising scientific dissemination events to encourage scientific debate and discussion among members.
Studium Generale: the history of the University of Florence.
The rich Tuscan land is home to another university, not far away, which boasts prestige and history: known as the University of Florence since the 1920s, the school was born as an evolution of the Higher Institute of Practical and Advanced Studies of Florence. The University of Florence, which welcomes a large number of young people every year, has ancient and deep-seated roots in the city known as the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. Among others, its teaching staff boasts Giovanni Boccaccio, called in the 14th century to give lectures on the almost contemporary Divine Comedy.
In 2023, the university received great praise for its scientific and humanistic disciplines, so much so that it currently enjoys an excellent reputation for the multidisciplinary nature of the degrees offered, supported by external funding with a view to internationalization and possible collaborations with foreign universities. The cosmopolitan dimension of the University of Florence can also be felt thanks to the presence of thousands of foreign students who enrol every year for a period of study in Italy, or because they are involved in research programmes on topics of global interest.
Entertainment opportunities.
Buying property in one of these cities offers a high quality of life, ensured by the combination of history, culture and beauty. We are talking about human-scale locations that afford the possibility of avoiding the frenzy of large cities, without, however, forgoing a wide offer of cultural events and initiatives.
The presence of the university certainly influences the city context in positive fashion, shaping its cultural life and contributing to building a lively and stimulating environment.
There are many events related to the university scenario, and some are born through collaborations: art exhibitions, theatre performances, film screenings and other types of events. Opportunities for the community to be involved and enrich its experiences, get to know the territory and make new friends.
We can therefore safely state that living in Tuscany is an immersive experience in a territory all to be discovered and one that offers endless resources, especially on a cultural level.
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