In the upper half is the Eagle of Saint Wenceslas, an ancient Bohemian symbol that is featured in the coats of arms of the Autonomous Province of Trento and of Regione Trentino Alto Adige; in the lower half is the phoenix that rises from its ashes and points to the sun, symbolising the continuous renewal of knowledge.
The eagle and the phoenix appeared in the seal of the University of Trento in 1984, when the Charter was adopted, and have since been part of the academic life of generations of students, researchers and professors, have defined academic official events, and made the identity of the University of Trento unique and distinctive.
Today, 35 years later, the logo of the University becomes simpler and more modern, while remaining faithful to its history and identity and the values it embodies.
The new University brand takes into account the modifications that have been implemented over the years and its last version, included in the Visual identity manual of 2003.
The changes involved the three main aspects of the brand: the seal, colour and logo.
As regards the seal, the sun, flames and the eagle of Saint Wenceslas are drawn in a much lighter line weight, to make them more defined and facilitate their use. Its core features however remain unchanged, as established in compliance with the rules of heraldry in 1992: the Eagle in the upper part of the seal; the flying phoenix in the lower half, with gold open beak and wings addorsed and elevated, looking at the sun on the left. The Latin motto still stands, in capital letters: "Athesina studiorum Universitas", adopted in 1984, when the University became a State University. The eight point star is in the centre.
The main colour has been changed. It is Red Pantone 186, which appears in the main University seal and is the new colour defining the University's identity.
This colour was chosen because it shows courage, bravery, importance. In heraldry it is indeed often associated to nobility and distinctness. In its most vibrant version, this colour suggests energy and courage, qualities that the University needs to continue to innovate and maintain an international perspective. It is not a coincidence that red is the colour of many prestigious and competitive universities like Harvard, Cambridge and the MIT.
The nametype is shorter and lighter and now reads “Università di Trento” in Italian, (and not "Università degli Studi di Trento"). The full name of the university will continue to be used in institutional documents and, in general, in official communications and in administrative documents.
Four variations of the logo have been presented, with the seal against a coloured, grey, white or black background. The rebranding effort was entirely conceived and designed within the University, by the Communication, events and branding division.
"The logo and brand are the main vehicle of communication for an organization or a company to get in touch with people, but they also sum up their image, philosophy, the character of their products and services, the idea they want to pass on to their users or clients. Logotypes represent the organization and the organization is represented by them", explained Alessandra Montresor, head of the Communication and external relations directorate of UniTrento. "The purpose of the rebranding was to renew the image of the University of Trento even more: our University has to compete with other top universities at a global level. The restyling will boost the University's communication with a logo that can be used more easily across various platforms: in print, which means on publications, theses and dissertations, and online, but also, soon, on the University's promotional materials".