The "ex Salsa" complex in Treviso

Thirty years after the launch of teaching activities in the city of Treviso, the University is formalising the transition towards a stable and functional site, moving beyond the temporary premises that currently see courses spread across several locations in the city, largely in spaces granted or rented by the local health authority.

The Municipality of Treviso will in fact grant the University of Padua a surface right lasting 50 years over a building in the former “Tommaso Salsa” Barracks, in viale Brigata Marche, intended to host the courses of the Law School and the early years of the Health Professions. At present, the Law courses have returned to the historic site of Palazzo San Leonardo, while the health professions courses are spread across three or four different locations. The new campus will therefore enable significant logistical streamlining.

The complex will be designed to accommodate around 1,800 users and will include teaching rooms of various sizes, laboratories, study spaces, a conference hall, offices for academic staff and administrative offices, as well as common areas and covered outdoor areas. In particular, large classrooms are planned for the Law course and for the two Nursing streams, medium-sized classrooms for the Dental Hygiene course (the only one present at the University and potentially expandable), and smaller classrooms for the other health professions courses. Teaching laboratories (“skill labs”) will also be created for Nursing and Midwifery, together with a library integrated with a computer laboratory and a separate building intended for study rooms.

In detail, the main building will house a total of 13 classrooms with 1,679 seats overall (including a 255-seat main lecture hall that can be divided), while an external building will be dedicated to two study rooms providing a further 128 seats, reaching a total capacity of 1,807 seats. At present, the student population at the Treviso site is around 2,400 students, divided among Law (740), Health Professions (860) and Medicine and Surgery (406, some of whom are in Conegliano). The Medicine and Surgery course will continue to be held at the ULSS healthcare facilities and will not be transferred to the new campus.

The new synergy between the Municipality of Treviso and the University will act as a catalyst for the urban regeneration of the northern area of the city. In addition to the full restoration of the former barracks, the plan includes the creation of a watercourse running alongside a new cycle path and integrated into the surrounding green area, enriched by an urban cultural woodland, with the aim of transforming the entire complex into a centre of excellence for the city by bringing together education, sport and leisure.

The operation, with a total value of over 12 million euros, is co-financed by the Municipality with 3.3 million euros from PNRR funds and provides for a maximum investment by the University of 8.97 million euros to complete the renovation, according to a project shared by the two bodies. This commitment will make it possible to eliminate rental expenditure and optimise logistical and library services.

The works will be carried out in two functional phases: delivery of the first, guaranteed by the Municipality with PNRR funds, is scheduled by September 2026; completion of the second is expected by the end of 2028.