Bassi publicly defended forty-nine philosophical theses at the University of Bologna, a formal requirement toward her degree.
On 17 April 1732, Laura Bassi underwent a rigorous and very public trial of her intellectual capabilities: the defense of forty-nine philosophical theses before an audience of university dignitaries, clergy, and members of the public at the University of Bologna. This exercise was a traditional and formal requirement en route to an academic degree, but it was virtually unheard of for a woman to undertake it.
The event drew significant public attention, in part because Bassi's abilities had already become something of a local sensation. Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, the Archbishop of Bologna who would later become Pope Benedict XIV, was a key supporter and patron who helped orchestrate the public nature of the defense, recognizing both her talent and the propaganda value of showcasing Bologna's intellectual openness.
Bassi's success in defending theses spanning logic, metaphysics, natural philosophy, and related subjects, demonstrated a command of the full undergraduate philosophical curriculum of the period. Her performance impressed the assembled scholars and cleared the way for the formal conferral of her degree less than a month later.
This defense represents a critical and often underappreciated step in Bassi's rise: it was the proving ground that established her scholarly legitimacy in the eyes of an institution and society deeply skeptical of women's intellectual capacities, paving the way for her graduation and subsequent unprecedented professorship.