[9] Over the course of its thousand-year history, Federico II alumni have included the presidents of the Italian Republic Enrico De Nicola, Giovanni Leone and Giorgio Napolitano.

Frederick II had specific objectives when he founded the university in Naples: first, to train administrative and skilled bureaucratic professionals for the curia regis (the kingdom's ministries and governing apparatus), as well as preparing lawyers and judges who would help the sovereign to draft laws and administer justice.

[...]Through a circular letter, the Emperor firmly invited all students to journey to Naples before September 29 (the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel), a date that became customary for the commencement of the academic year.

[19] The choice of Naples as the location was not only due to cultural reasons (the city had a long-standing tradition in this regard, linked to the figure of Virgil, explicitly referenced in a document of the time), but also for geographic and economic considerations (maritime trade and transport, the mild climate, and the strategic position within the Kingdom were primarily decisive).

[17] Frederick II's political-university objective was not limited to the training of suitable officials for the state service, but also encompassed the creation of a broad intellectual elite capable of consolidating the Empire through legal elements as well as cultural contributions.

[25] The original location of the University of Naples remains uncertain, but it is hypothesized to have been situated in the region of Nido, next to the Church of San Marco and the Monastery of Donna Romita.

Towards the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th, a dispute arose with the University of Salerno regarding medical degrees, which attracted many students thanks to benefits such as the lack of obligation to enroll or attend classes for several years.

[30][27] In 1777 the headquarters were transferred to the House of the Savior, where the Collegio Massimo of the Jesuits had previously resided, following the dissolution and expulsion of the religious order at the behest of King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon.

The Administrator, chosen from the Professors, was the only one to receive a monthly salary and was responsible for managing the finances of the University, overseeing discipline, and making payments to teachers and staff.

Although the student population multiplied, bringing it to third place in Europe, after Berlin and Vienna, the buildings available to the University were lacking and sometimes not adequate (in fact, most of them were converted former convents).

In 1884, after a violent cholera epidemic, the structure of the House of the Savior being now inadequate, the University was moved, thanks to urban renewal initiatives, to the new location in Corso Umberto I, where it still resides.

In its first session on 19 July 1805, the Chamber of Deputies approved a resolution regarding the reorganization of the University of Naples, recognizing the urgent need for state intervention to improve its deteriorating conditions.

The bill presented to Parliament reflected the long and laborious negotiation between the Government and the parties involved, seeking to balance financial interests with the cultural and scientific importance of the project.

[33] Towards the end of the 19th century, the Faculty of Medicine, constantly complaining about the lack of adequate facilities, convinced the Government to establish a Commission whose report led to the promulgation of the law of 16 July 1882.

This law authorized the expenditure of 850,000 lire for the transfer and adaptation of the clinics and facilities of the Medical Faculty of the Royal University of Naples to the former convents of Santa Patrizia and Sant'Andrea delle Dame.

[35] New difficulties of both building and organizational nature afflicted the university both during the Fascist era and during the World War II: in 1938, the presence of Nazi authorities led to the removal of Jewish professors and forced adherence to regime symbols, such as the swastika.

The central headquarters was set on fire by the Germans on 12 September 1943, and on the same day, a young sailor was executed on the main staircase of the University Palace; laboratories and scientific labs were requisitioned by the Allies.

[37] On 7 September 1987, it assumed its current name as University of Naples Federico II in anticipation of the establishment, in 1991, through its spin-off, of the Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli.

[46][47] In October of the same year, two university complexes were inaugurated: one in the Scampia district, located in the north of Naples,[48][49] and another in the municipality of Portici, specifically in the area known as Villa Ferretti.

[50] In 2023, the University commemorated its eighth century of history with a series of events and initiatives, highlighted by the inauguration of the 2023–2024 academic year, graced by the presence of the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

On 26 January 2024, the first Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Italy was established,[52][53] with the presence of Tracy Roberts-Pounds, the Consul General of the United States of America in Naples.

[54] In the same year, a team of engineers, cellular biologists, and physicists from the University, through the N2FXm project, in collaboration with the Molecular Oncology Foundation Institute in Milan and the ETH Zurich, unveiled the osmo-mechanical regulation of nuclear volume in mammalian cells.

Situated adjacent to the original university complex, which had been housed in the Casa del Salvatore since 1777, after the Jesuits ceased ownership, the new structure was integrated with the existing facilities behind it.

Only the facade side of the sixteenth-century structure remains, characterized by the rhythm of cushion bosses on the ground floor and Composite pilasters in piperno, interspersed with the openings of marble-framed windows.

The training areas are categorized into: The lessons are centered around Challenge-based learning (CBL), a multidisciplinary approach that motivates students to leverage everyday technologies to solve real-world problems.

[64] The Digital Transformation Lab (DTLab) is a laboratory resulting from a collaborative effort between the American company Cisco Systems and the CeSMA (Advanced Metrological and Technological Services Center) of the Federico II University.

[70] The SSM is made up of the following 10 doctoral areas: The School offers students complimentary room and board in its residences, along with a monthly stipend and exemption from university fees.

[71] The Centro Linguistico di Ateneo (CLA) is the institution tasked with coordinating various educational, scientific, and service-related activities concerning languages, including translation and interpreting services.

Acting as the scientific manager and coordinator, the CLA leads these initiatives aimed at developing educational applications utilizing innovative Mobile Learning methodologies.

[74] The Centro di Ateneo Servizi per l'Inclusione Attiva e Partecipata degli Studenti (SInAPSi) is an institution that provides psychological support to students facing difficulties through counseling activities.