The University of Macerata is based in the centre of Italy, in Marche Region, in the city of Macerata. It was founded by Pope Nicholas IV in 1290 and for years it was a law school run by a private master. Under the protection of the Commune it achieved the features of a public institution. On 1541 the first degree wasconferred, so from that day until the present, the University has continued to operate without interruption. After various requests to the Government the University was granted first class status in a law of 1901. At the present time, the University of Macerata, with its long history, plays a very remarkable role. Its Faculties, Departments, Institutes and Schools (mainly in the humanities), make up a homogeneous whole in which academic staff and students can find common cultural interests and points for discussion in the spirit of a real universitas studiorum.