The Almo Collegio Borromeo is the oldest university college of merit in Italy, and one of the most beautiful buildings in Lombardy. Founded in 1561 by Saint Charles Borromeo, it was established with the intention, which it has pursued ever since, of offering particularly deserving students without financial means the opportunity to study at the University of Pavia. Today it is an internationally recognised private foundation; it is a founding member of the Conference of University Colleges of Merit accredited by the Ministry of Universities and Research and the University Institute of Higher Studies of Pavia confederated with the Scuola Normale and Scuola Sant'Anna of Pisa. The Almo Collegio Borromeo welcomes almost 200 students (including undergraduates, master students and researchers) from all over the world. It offers a rich educational proposal by organising courses, seminars, workshops, concerts, theatrical performances, sports activities and conferences with important personalities from the academic, political, cultural and business worlds, and has numerous active international exchanges.