This book presents a history of the Florence University’s 100 years, tracing its extensive evolution in higher education within the city, from its medieval and early-modern origins to its progressive institutionalization during the period when Florence served as the Italian capital, then culminating in the formal birth of the University on October 1, 1924. During the two decades of Fascism, it experiences significant development but heavily suffers from the intrusion of the regime. As a protagonist in the shaping of the Republic alongside its prominent professors, the University will establish a dense network of relations with the community, thereby contributing to its economic and social growth. Running parallel to the profound changes in the nation, this interplay – closely reconstructed in the book – will promote the gradual shift from an elitist educational model to that of a mass higher education.