Sassari, University

The historic headquarters of the Sassari University is located on the edge of the ancient center.
The University of Sassari is housed in a building that encompasses the centuries-old history of the institution, founded in 1632.
The rear part, located along Corso Margherita di Savoia, is marked with great evidence by the large reinforcement arches of the former Jesuit Professed House, while the large main façade overlooks Piazza Università, including two pre-existing bodies brought together in a new project entrusted to engineer Raffaello Oggiano as an adaptation of the old headquarters. The formal design of the building is part of the “ministerial” style of public education buildings, also widely spread in Cagliari, but on Roman academic models.
The current long and repetitive façade differs only in the central part due to the greater width of the openings with large tripartite windows, underlined by vertical members in red artificial stone.
Even the large and bright courtyard resumes simplifying the exterior, while the atrium has a sober travertine coating in the cruciform pillars and walls, which contain the ancient coats of arms of the University, given the arrangement created in 1940 by Filippo Figari with the assistance of the students of the Institute of Art.
The decoration of the Aula Magna, on the other hand, is the result of two competitions (1926 and 1927), won by Mario Delitala. The subjects of the great paintings concern episodes of Sassari history (“The founder of the first college of studies Alessio Fontana delivers and explains his will, The School of Anatomy, The City of Sassari obtains the Royal Charter from the Royal Chancellery of Madrid, solemn reading of the Bogino Decree of 1766", the latter retouched and redacted 1947 by Delitala himself). The two side panels with “Book and Mussolini” and the portraits of Vittorio Emanuele III and Mussolini were removed after the fall of the regime.
Other decorations by Delitala (1933) are in the rooms of the rector and the board of directors and in the secretariat.

History of studies
A review of studies can be found in the bibliography relating to the fact sheet in the volume of the “History of Art in Sardinia” on nineteenth-century architecture (2001).

Bibliography
[L.] Valentino, “Architecture in the Province of Sassari”, in Bulletin of the Regional Fascist Fine Arts Syndicate of Sardinia, 1932, 2, pp. 13-14; E. Cenami-P.
Simonetti, “Architecture and City”, in Sassari between Liberty and Déco, Cinisello Balsamo, Amilcare Pizzi, 1987, pp. 48-49; G. Altea-M.
Magnani, Painting and Sculpture of the Early 1900s, series “History of Art in Sardinia, Nuoro, Ilisso, 1995, pp. 252-254; M. Porcu Gaias, Sassari. Architectural and urban history from its origins to the 17th century, Nuoro, Ilisso, 1996, pp. 248-251;
M.L. Frongia, Mario Delitala, Nuoro, Ilisso, 1999, pp. 104-130; F. Masala, Architecture from the Unification of Italy to the end of the 20th century. Nuoro, Ilisso, 2001, sheet 61.