The University of Salerno is ideally linked to the oldest academic institution in the Old Continent: the Schola Medica Salernitana. Founded in the eighth century AD, the School reached its peak between the 10th and 13th century. In addition to medicine, its lectures included philosophy, theology and law. Closed by royal decree in 1811 under Joachim Murat’s Napoleonic government, the School earned Salerno the title of Hippocratica Civitas (City of Hippocrates) after the famous Greek physician and treatise writer. In 1944, by decree of king Victor Emmanuel III, the Istituto Universitario di Magistero “Giovanni Cuomo” was founded. This became state-owned in 1968, changing its name into Facoltà di Magistero dell’Università degli Studi di Salerno. Within a few years, the Faculty was joined by many others which contributed to the formation of a major university. The Faculty of Arts was established in 1969; then the Faculty of Economics (1970); the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Law (1972); the Full Degree in Engineering (1983); the Faculty of Pharmacy (1991); the Faculty of Political Science (1992); the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature (1996); finally, the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (2006). As of 2013, in accordance with Law 240/2010, the faculties have been reorganized, the departments reconfigured and their respective functions redesigned. The University – which currently counts around 40,000 students – has a very large catchment area including, beside Campania, the Italian regions of Basilicata, Calabria and Apulia. Since 1987, the University has had its headquarters in the Irno Valley, a few kilometers from Salerno, at the junction of motorway intersections that make it central and easy to reach. Organized in the form of a campus (the Fisciano and Baronissi campuses), the University boasts modern facilities and efficient services for orientation, teaching, studying and leisure. It is a very large and still expanding complex, which covers an area of about one hundred thousand square meters.
Modern service centres – such as libraries, the International/Erasmus Office, the University Language Centre, the University Centre for Orientation and Mentoring, the Placement Office, the Spin-Off Incubator – represent vital and valuable support for training. Furthermore, the Campus offers many other services such as residence halls for students and teachers, sports facilities, an indoor swimming pool, a theatre, a lecture hall, a nursery, open-air museum of contemporary art, parking areas, green areas and a thematic arboretum, thus providing a student-friendly environment to facilitate the entire academic journey. Thus, from traditionally being a place for integration of learning, the University becomes a place for integration of projects, cultures and - above all – people, by constantly encouraging study, research and life experiences to enhance cultural and human growth.
The mission of the University of Salerno is to carry out research and educational programmes, developing links with the surrounding area while respecting the environment, with the aim of creating, enriching and, at the same time, offering a scientific, cultural heritage to students, enterprises, institutions and in general to the whole community. In keeping with this mission and core values, which are a constant reference point, the institutional goals are as follows: Research, Teaching and Education, Support for outstanding students and the diversely able, Development of the Campus as a community of individuals who share the same interests and values, Development of links with key players in the local area.
萨勒诺大学与旧大陆最古老的学术机构——萨勒诺医学院(Schola Medica Salernitana)有着深厚的渊源。这所创立于公元8世纪的学院在10至13世纪达到鼎盛，除医学外，其课程还涵盖哲学、神学与法学。1811年拿破仑时期乔阿基诺·穆拉特政府颁布法令关闭该学院，因其与希腊名医及医学论著作家希波克拉底的关联，萨勒诺由此获得"希波克拉底之城"(Hippocratica Civitas)的称号。1944年，根据国王维托里奥·埃马努埃莱三世的法令，"乔瓦尼·科莫"大学师范学院成立。1968年该学院转为国立，更名为萨莱诺大学师范学院。随后几年间，该院系与其他众多院系合并，最终形成了一所综合性大学。文学院成立于1969年；随后是经济学院（1970年）；数学、物理与自然科学学院及法学院（1972年）；完整的工程学位课程（1983年）；药学院（1991年）；政治科学院（1992年）；外国语言与文学院（1996年）；最后是医学与外科学院（2006年）。截至2013年，根据第240/2010号法律，各学院已进行重组，学系重新配置，其各自的功能也进行了重新设计。该大学目前拥有约4万名学生，其生源地覆盖范围极广，除坎帕尼亚大区外，还包括意大利的巴西利卡塔、卡拉布里亚和普利亚大区。自1987年起，大学总部迁至距萨莱诺数公里之遥的伊尔诺山谷，此处位于高速公路交汇处，交通便利且地理位置核心。大学采用校园制布局（菲夏诺校区与巴龙尼西校区），拥有现代化的教学设施，并为新生指导、General教育、学术研究及休闲活动提供高效服务。这是一个非常庞大且仍在扩建的综合建筑群，占地面积约十万平方米。现代服务中心——如图书馆、国际/伊拉斯谟办公室、大学语言中心、大学定向与指导中心、就业安置办公室、衍生企业孵化器——为培训提供了至关重要且宝贵的支持。此外，校园还提供许多其他服务，如学生和教师宿舍、体育设施、室内游泳池、剧院、讲堂、托儿所、露天当代艺术博物馆、停车场、绿化区和主题植物园，从而营造出一个学生友好的环境，助力整个学术旅程。因此，大学从传统上作为学习融合的场所，转变为通过不断鼓励学习、研究和生活体验来促进文化与人文成长的场所，成为项目、文化——尤其是人——融合的地方。萨勒诺大学的Mission是开展研究和教育项目，发展与周边地区的联系，同时尊重环境，旨在为学生、企业、机构以及整个社区创造、丰富并同时提供科学文化遗产。秉承这一使命和核心价值观（它们是恒定的参照点），机构目标如下：研究、教学与教育，支持优秀学生和多样化能力者，将校园发展为共享相同兴趣和价值观的个体社区，发展与当地关键参与者的联系。