The Parthenope University of Naples (Italian: Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope") is a university located in Naples, Italy. The “Parthenope” is now one of the fully accredited universities in Naples. It was founded in 1920 as the Regio Istituto Superiore Navale—the Royal Naval Technical Institute—and was further upgraded in the 1930s to the Istituto Universitario Navale. The institution was founded as an institute of “encouragement” —that is, for the promotion of studies having to do with maritime economy. With the recent expansion and completion of main facilities and final accreditation as a full university, the current student population is about 15,000. The main premises are directly opposite the passenger port of Naples. Additionally, the “Parthenope” has acquired classroom spaces on the Posillipo coast and the former church of San Giorgio dei Genovesi in the center of town. Additional space is being completed at the new civic center, the Centro Direzionale.