The historic Federico II University of Naples, founded by the Holy Roman Emperor, King Federico II of Sicily in 1224, has been celebrating its 792nd birthday with a series of cultural events. The university is believed to be the oldest public lay university in the world and has produced many eminent scientists, politicians, writers, philosophers, doctors and physicists throughout its long history. Today the university has five faculties and 22 degree courses.
Celebrations opened with a prize-giving ceremony for the year's thirty-three best students, the awarding of honoris causa degrees to six contemporary Italian personalities in the theatrical, literature and art world. An all-Neapolitan programme followed, with a concert by the university's Polyphonic Choir, a show with Neapolitan rock artiste Francesco Di Bella and performances of exerpts from the Neapolitan musical La Gatta Cenerentola (Cat Cinderella), by composer and musicologist Roberto De Simone and inspired by the story recounted in 1634 by Giambattista Basile in his masterpiece Lo Cunto de li Cunti” (Tale of Tales). La Gatta Cenerentola is considered a modern classic of Neapolitan dialogue and music, and an allegory of the trials of the city of Naples. It debutted in 1976 at the Festival of Spoleto.
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