Poetry was written in her honor. She was soon offered a teaching position at the university. In order to earn a professorship, Bassi was asked to undergo yet another public examination. On June 27, she was again successful, earning the 25th chair of physics at the university. Bassi became the first woman to earn a professorship in physics at any university in Europe. Although several Italian universities had employed female faculty members dating back to the thirteenth century, none had yet taught physics.
When Bassi was hired by the University of Bologna, her salary was 500 lire annually. She gave her first lecture in October 1732. Many, from both within and outside of the academic community, attended the lecture, entitled "De aqua corpore naturali elemento aliorum corporum parte universi." It was later published. To commemorate the event, the Senate of Bologna produced a medal in her honor. She was shown on one side and Minerva on the other, with the inscription "Soli cui fas vidisse Minervam."
There was some critical debate over Bassi's true status at the university. Some scholars argued that she did not teach regularly, but was only limited to certain occasions.
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