Pavia University Campus

Visit Pavia and you will be overcome with the heady feeling of becoming a student again… if only for a day.

You can detect the vibe as soon as you encounter the university’s city-centre campus, which was opened by Galeazzo II Visconti in 1361. Well worth a look at the face and courtyards, which were renovated by Piermarini, while we’ll be impressed if you visit Biblioteca Teresiana, Teatro Anatomico or Teatro di Fisica, where Volta presented the invention of the battery to Napoleon.

There are more pearls of wisdom to discover on a guided tour of the University of Pavia History Museum, including the revelation that Einstein found his first love right here.

In Strada Nuova, begowned graduates and hordes of students descend on Pasticceria Vigoni to celebrate with a Torta Paradiso or a glass of Oltrepò sparkling wine, while just a few steps away are the renowned Borromeo and Ghisleri colleges, with the former located in a stunning Mannerist building.

So what’ll it be? A lecture from a Nobel prize winner or party time at the pub? The choice is yours on campus.

You could always just head to Facebook: UCampus Pavia for business, Spotted Unipv for pleasure.