Collegio Cairoli, building and university college in Pavia, Italy
Collegio Cairoli is a university residence in Pavia housed in a four-story building with a square layout centered around a large inner garden filled with trees. The complex includes a library holding more than 65,000 books, music rooms, common lounges, a gymnasium, and single student rooms, many offering views of the city skyline.
Founded in 1783 under Austrian Emperor Joseph II, the college was created to provide local study space for students instead of requiring travel to Rome. The building endured significant disruption when French forces closed it in 1796 and converted it into military barracks, but it reopened after World War II in 1948 and was renamed in honor of the Cairoli family.
The college uses the colors yellow and black, which recall historic imperial banners, and displays a double-headed eagle emblem with roots in its past. Students living here maintain traditions including a choir that started in 2004 and regular sports competitions between different residence groups.
The residence sits centrally in Pavia near the university's main building and other college facilities in the area. Admission requires passing a competitive exam, and the college offers places for different student groups including those involved in sports or special academic programs.
The college traces its roots to a reform movement connected to the Germanico-Ungarico in Rome, a Jesuit college established in the 1500s where Pavia students had previously studied. This European connection between the two institutions reflects the broader educational reforms of the period.
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