In the 19th century, the Ateneo Veneto was a place of violent political passions and innovative proposals for the city of Venice, and members were periodically invited to present reports on their activities to the assembly. During the first half of 19th century, under Austrian domination, even if among many difficulties and vicissitudes, the Ateneo had already distinguished itself for its function of discussion and dissemination of the most progressive ideas, both in scientific and humanistic field. Eminent professors and scholars gathered in it, not only from the Venetian disctrict, but also of national and international prestige. In the second half of the 19th century one of the themes that was mostly addressed in the city debate was related to education, so much so that in those years the Ateneo Veneto began to experiment with new educational formulas, by opening its rooms to ‘popular’ lessons. Other topics were modernisation, health, but also a special attention to the emancipation of women. In 1868 the Ateneo organised several initiatives in this direction.