The university of Virginia (also called “UVA”, “the university of Mr. Jefferson” or simply “the University”) are in the east of the the United States to Charlottesville, in the State of Virginia. It is also a site registered since 1987 with the world heritage of Humanity defined by UNESCO. The university was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Déclaration of independence and the third US president. The university of Virginia is an establishment of higher education public which belongs to the network Universitas 21.

History

The January 18th 1800, Thomas Jefferson prepared already the plans of a new university for Virginia, because it estimated that old the College off William and Mary was not enough any more. Jefferson always wanted to develop education in its area and he thought that a Republic could not function without the participation of well formed elites. Especially, it wished that higher education escape the influence from the religion: in this beginning of the XIXe century, theology was still very present in the American universities.

The ground was bought in 1788 by James Monroe; the building work started in 1817 and the official unveiling took place later two years. At the beginning of the 19th century, the institutions included/understood a council of the Visitors ( Board off Visitors ) which chose the professors and elected the vice-chancellor of the University. Jefferson had not envisaged religious teaching and required students whom they read the English philosopher John Locke.

In 1824, the young university receives the visit of Fayette, invited by his/her friend Thomas Jefferson. The first courses are given in 1825: the originality of the establishment was that it offered more formations than the other universities: Astronomy, Architecture, Botanical, Philosophy and Political sciences. Teaching was also émancipé of the religion what was reflected in the original architecture of the campus: in the place of a vault, the central building was a rotunda sheltering the college library.

Structure

Thomas Jefferson contributed to the plan of the university of Virginia, built starting from 1817. The project, supplemented by Benjamin Latrobe, enables him to apply its architectural designs. The college library is located under a Rotonde capped with a dome which takes as a starting point the the Pantheon of Rome. It had, according to Jefferson, to represent the authority of nature and the capacity of the reason. The unit presents a great homogeneity thanks to the use of brick and the wood painted in white.

Jefferson had conceived the plan of the campus as an academic village where the professors were close to their students; It took as a starting point the castle of Marly and the Pantheon of Rome (for the rotunda).

In January 1895, the NewYork Times said that the plan of the university of Virginia was the most ambitious project and most monumental of the XIXe century. In 1976, the American institute of the architects (American Institute off Architects) affirmed that it had been the example more led of American architecture for 200 years. Today, the university remains a remarkable monument and a major tourist destination. It is classified, with the villa of Monticello, with the world heritage of the Humanity of UNESCO. It is a question of the only campus of the world to have obtained this distinction.

• the rotunda became the symbol of the university campus. It represents half the height of the Pantheon of Rome. It was used as model with other buildings of the same type with the Duke University (1892), the Université Johns Hopkins (1902), the Rice University (1910), etc

The October 27th 1895, the rotunda is partly destroyed by a fire. One called upon the architect Stanford White to rebuild it. This one remained faithful to the drawings of Jefferson for outside, but refitted the interior of the building completely. White also built other buildings on the campus.

• The Lawn : ten buildings are each side of the rotunda. Each one has its own architectural style.
• Serpentine walls

Taught disciplines

Schools

Architecture, Trade, Right, Medicine, Sciences of education

Departments

History of Art, Astronomy, Astrophysical, Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Data-processing, Economy, English, Finance, French, German, History, Physical, Political sciences, Psychology, Religion S, Spanish/Portuguese,… the whole of the libraries counts approximately 5 million volumes.

Sports

In the field Sport yew, the Virginia Cavaliers defend the colors of the University of Virginia.

See too

Random links:

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