Uppsala University, as with most medieval universities, initially grows out of an ecclesiastical center.

The archbishopric of Uppsala has been one of the most important sees in Sweden proper since Christianity first spread to this region in the ninth century.

Uppsala has also long been a hub for regional trade, and contains settlements dating back into the early Middle Ages.

As is also the case with most medieval universities, Uppsala is initially chartered through a papal bull.

Uppsala's bull, which grants the university its corporate rights, is issued by Pope Sixtus IV in 1477, and establishes a number of provisions.

Among the most important of these is that the university is officially given the same freedoms and privileges as the University of Bologna.

This includes the right to establish the four traditional faculties of theology, law (Canon Law and Roman law), medicine, and philosophy, and to award the bachelors, masters, licentiate, and doctorate degrees.

The archbishop of Uppsala is also named as the university's Chancellor, and is charged with maintaining the rights and privileges of the university and its members