On 8 May 1965, the Acting President of the Republic, Giuseppe Saragat, signed the Decree establishing the Free Abruzzese University of “Gabriele d’Annunzio” Studies.

Three Faculties were officially recognized: Humanities and Philosophy, based in Chieti; Economics and Business, which included a degree program in Foreign Languages and Literatures, legally headquartered in Chieti but already operating in Pescara; and Law, located in Teramo. This marked the official recognition of the significant work carried out by the Funding Consortium, established by the Municipal and Provincial Administrations of the cities of Chieti, Pescara, and Teramo.

The Consortium’s aim was to provide the Adriatic area of Abruzzo with a university that could be described as “territorial” in nature—at the time, a unique model within the Italian university landscape. It was an institution conceived to reflect the polycentric character of the Abruzzo region, shaped on the one hand by historically consolidated urban settlements and, on the other, by productive—especially industrial—areas whose development was relatively recent.

 The founding document—preserved in its evocative original at the Central State Archives in Rome—offers, in a sense, a reflection of the epochal transformation of Italian society, from the period of economic expansion to the more recent technological revolution.

It is along this path that the “Gabriele d’Annunzio” University, which became a state university on 1 November 1982, has grown, indeed one might say disproportionately, not only in quantitative terms (reaching as many as 12 Faculties and over 30,000 students), but above all in terms of quality.

This is evidenced by its current departmental structure, which spans a wide range of disciplines: medical and pharmaceutical sciences; economics and business; architecture, engineering, and geology; the humanities; and legal and social sciences—while also taking into account the autonomy achieved by the Teramo campus in 1993. 

The current challenging situation of the country—and within it, of the university system—calls for a tone of sobriety in marking the 50th anniversary. Nonetheless, this milestone is deeply felt by both the Academic Staff and the Technical-Administrative Personnel, who remain fully engaged in the ongoing process of adapting to the pressing demands of reform while simultaneously striving to further enhance performance in scientific research, educational offerings, financial and asset management, and, more broadly, in the services provided to students and to the surrounding territory.

The Rector

Carmine Di Ilio