Italy’s internet began in Tuscany, 40 years ago

On 30 April 1986, Italy was connected to the global internet for the first time through a signal sent from Pisa. The connection, established with a computer in Pennsylvania, marked a turning point in the country’s technological development and highlighted the role of Tuscany as an early centre for digital research.

The signal originated from the Centre for the National University Computing (CNUCE), where researchers successfully sent a “ping” that returned within milliseconds, confirming that Italy had joined the international network.

At the time, the internet was still largely confined to academic use. It was mainly employed for exchanging data and emails between research institutions, and its broader social and economic impact was not yet fully understood. The widespread use of the web would only begin in the early 1990s.

From early computing to the first connection

The origins of this milestone date back to the 1950s. In 1954, physicist Enrico Fermi encouraged the University of Pisa to invest in building an electronic computing machine.

That decision led to the development of the Calcolatrice Elettronica Pisana (CEP), inaugurated in 1961. It was among the first large computers in Europe and helped create a local research community focused on computing and information technologies.

This environment later contributed to the creation of CNUCE in 1965, which became a key hub for digital research in Italy and played a central role in the 1986 connection.

The early web in Italy

Pisa was also involved in the early development of the World Wide Web. Researchers from the university collaborated with international figures such as Tim Berners-Lee, who developed the web at CERN.

Through these exchanges, the University of Pisa hosted the first Italian website, marking the transition from a network used mainly by scientists to a system that would soon reach a much wider public.

An anniversary rooted in Tuscany

Forty years after the first connection, the anniversary is being marked with events and discussions in Pisa, bringing together researchers and institutions to reflect on the evolution of the internet.

The history of Italy’s entry into the digital age remains closely linked to Tuscany, where early investments in computing, academic collaboration and research infrastructure laid the groundwork for the country’s participation in global networks.

(Cover photo: Conny Schneider via Unsplash)

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