Universita Degli Studi Di Pavia

UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DI PAVIA

ECTS Guide

FACOLTA’ DI ECONOMIA

FACULTY OF ECONOMICS

Academic Year 2000 - 2001

1. PAVIA: AN HISTORICAL OUTLINE

Pavia lies in Northern Italy, near the confluence of the river Ticino and the river Po. During the Roman Empire, the town, once called Ticinum, was a municipality and an important military site.

Still now the main pedestrian streets, Strada Nuova and Corso Cavour with Corso Mazzini, are the two axes of the romanum castrum from which the plan of the town has been rigidly structured.

After the Longobard conquest, Pavia became the capital of their kingdom and later of the Regnum Italicum until the XII century.

In the subsequent age, Pavia was conquered by the Visconti family, ruling over Milan. The town has also been an important military point, sustaining strenuous sieges during the long Franco-Spanish wars.

After the battle of Pavia, in 1525, the town endured Spanish occupation until the peace of Utrecht in 1713.

Later Pavia fell under the Austrians and, apart from a brief period of French occupation (1796-1815) under Napoleon, it was ruled by the Austrian Empire until the Second War of Indipendence (1859) and the unification of Italy one year later.

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Pavia still keeps the atmosphere of the ancient Ticinum, of the Longobard Papia, with its castles, its monuments of artistic-historical interest, its medieval towers. A reporter of the XIV century called it the centium turrium town and once there was the chance of seeing many towers of brickwork in the city centre, but now these towers are for the most part cut down and three are still standing in Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, two in via Luigi Porta and another one in Piazza Borromeo.

It is important to keep one’s eyes wide open on the historic and artistic wealth that can be spotted in each street; buildings, churches are woven into an urban pattern that represents the beauty of Pavia.

The heart of the town is Piazza della Vittoria, a long rectangle with porticoes on the two long sides.

On the left side of the piazza there is one of the oldest churches in Pavia, Santa Maria in Gualtieri; on the right there is the Broletto, the former Town Hall, which dates back to the XII century.

Piazza della Vittoria is connected to Piazza Duomo by means of the narrow via Omodeo. The Cathedral is a magnificent construction of the Lombard Renaissance; Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci contributed to it. The imposing dome is the third largest in Italy, after San Pietro in Rome and Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.

Going downhill from Piazza Duomo towards the river, one can reach San Teodoro, one of the last Romanesque churches still preserving a Longobardic structure; inside there is an important fersco with a view of the town dating back to 1522.

Pavia has other admirable churches, too. The church of San Michele is a masterpiece in Romanesque style. It is in yellow sandstone from the neighbouring hills, very rich on the exterior with many monstrous sculptures, but it is simple and solemn in the interior.

Other Pavia’s treasures are Santa Maria del Carmine, whose facade is decorated in moulded red brick with a magnificent large rosette; Santa Maria di Canepanova, conceived by Bramante; San Lanfranco which dates back to the XI century.

An important Romanesque church is San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, mentioned by Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarca; it preserves inside the famous Arca the marble coffin of Saint Augustine, and the remains of Boethius and king Liutprand.

Walking from the church eastward, the Visconti castle can be reached (the castle is in front of the top of Strada Nuova).

It is an imposing square building, begun in 1360 by Galeazzo Visconti; it was one of the finest residences in Europe and now it is the seat of city museums.

Walking down Strada Nuova one arrives at the University; behind it htere is Piazza Leonardo da Vinci with the Assembly Hall on the right hand side and the old San Matteo hospital on the left. Walking long Strada Nuova southwards towards the river, one comes within the sight of the Covered Bridge: reconstructed after wartime bombing, it is the copy of the earlier one from the XIV century.

Furthermore eight kilometers north of Pavia there is the Certosa of Pavia, founded in 1396 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti. It was compared by Montaigne to a »Court of a very munificent prince», and it is the most famous attraction of the town.

2. THE UNIVERSITY

The University of Pavia is one of the oldest Universities in western Europe.

An edict issued by Emperor Lothair in 825 established rules for the school of Pavia, for the students from the north of Italy.

In the Middle Age, the Longobard law school of Pavia was renown and it reached a significant result with the masterpiece Exposito ad librum papiensem, which is the highest expression of Lombard jurisprudence of that time.

The University as an institution was founded in 1361 thanks to Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, and Emperor Carl IV of Bohemia; it was instituted a Studium generale for the teaching of canon law, civil law, philosophy, medicine and liberal arts.

Since late Middle Age, Pavia had eminent teachers such as Lorenzo Valla, in the field of philosophical and literary studies, and Baldo degli Ubaldi and Giason del Maino, great jurists.

Its prestige rose in the XV century, as the coming of foreign students witnesses, drawn by the fame of Pavia as a high culture centre.

At that time and still through the centuries, Pavia University had been the main institution for shaping the ruling class in Lombarida; many judges, lawyers, politicians, high officials came out from the law school of Pavia. After a period of decadence under Spanish rule, the University was brought to the greatest splendour by Maria Theresia in 1771; scientific and didactic structures were renewed and a program of building rearrangement was carried out. Piermarini and Pollack conceived the plan of the present building with many courtyards that create a very imposing ensemble.

In Pavia eminent fellows taught, such as Alessandro Volta in the field of physics, Antonio Scarpa and the Nobel Prize winner for medicine Camillo Golgi, th eromanist Contardo Ferrini and Pietro Bonfante, rodolfo De Nova, eminent master as regards international law.

Since 1945 the University has flourished again thanks to the creation of new University colleges, giving the town a particular atmosphere, and the introduction of new faculties. Nowadays the University of Pavia has eight faculties (Law; Political Sciences; Economics; Medicine; Letters and Philosophy; Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences; Pharmacy; Engineering) and a School (of Paleography and Musical Philology); it is provided with libraries and modern didactic and scientific structures, drawing a lot of students from Italian provinces and from all of Europe.

3. USEFUL INFORMATION

3.1 HOW TO REACH PAVIA

Pavia is situated 35 kms south of milan. It can be reached by train: trains leaving Milan - Stazione Centrale to Genoa take 35 minutes to reach Pavia.

Both Milan airports are connected by bus to Milan - Stazione Centrale. From Milan airport Linate it is also possible to reach Pavia directly by the S.G.E.A. Lombardia bus (leaving every day at 8.30, 9.00, 12.00, 16.50, 20.30 ).

Pavia can be reached by car through Milan-Genoa motorway ( exit Pavia Bereguardo ) or state highway 35 (‘Statale dei Giovi’). A coach service connects Milan to Pavia in about 50 minutes.

Bus Transfer Milano Malpensa - University of Pavia

On September 11th 1999 a Bus service between Milano Malpensa airport and the University of Pavia will be provided. The cost for this service is Lit. 40.000 to be paid on arrival.

3.2 ARRIVAL

Every Socrates-Erasmus student should fill the Incoming Form ( two copies ) provided by Pavia student’s Administration Office.

One copy is to be sent back to the Office ( Ripartizione Studenti - Sezione assistenza e mobilità studentesca - Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 1 - 27100 Pavia ) within July 31th. Students have to keep their own copy of Incoming Form in order to exhibit it whenever requested.

When you are in Pavia, as soon as possible:

* get in touch with the Socrates Coordinator (the Coordinator should help you to choose which modules to follow in Pavia)

* and enroll yourself to the University at the Ufficio Assistenza e Mobilità Studentesca (piazza Leonardo da Vinci - Palazzo del Maino - open MON-FRI 9.30 - 12.00 ).

In order to get an Italian NHS card for the sanitary assistance apply to the ASL (via Indipendenza,3 - second floor - Ufficio assistenza sanitaria per stranieri - open MON - FRI 9.30 - 12.30 ) with your E111 (oe E128) form issued by the National Health Service in your country ( Greek students only: please in Latin letters ).

If you have a private insurance you don’t need to register.

In order to obtain a Residence Permit apply to the Police Station (Questura - Ufficio Stranieri, Via Rismondo, 68) with:

- two passport-size photographs;

- the E111 (or E128) duly stamped by ASL or your private insurance translated into italian;

- a photocopy of your passport or ID card;

- the Incoming Form duly stamped by the Socrates Office of the University of Pavia;

- a duty stamp (marca da bollo)of the value of 20,000 Lit.

- rent contract of your room (to be obtained at the Centro Assistenza Studenti if your accomodation has been provided by it).

The Resident Permit will be issued in the space of one month.

When tou have the Resident Permit go back to the Socrates Office for the official registration.

If you want to open a bank account in Italy you need:

- the University Incoming Form;

- an identity paper;

- the fiscal number ( ‘codice fiscale’ ) issued by the Anagrafe Tributaria Office ( corso Mazzini,18).

3.3 ACCOMODATION

The University has appointed the Centro Assistenza Studenti to manage accomodation for Socrates students.

Students who want to live in a college can apply for a room in one of the ISU colleges, where the monthly rent is:

single room...... 480,000 Lit. (Euro 247.90)

twin room...... 320,000 Lit. (Euro 165.30)

COLLEGIO FRACCARO ( male only )

Piazza Leonardo da Vinci,2

Services: library, computers, gym, TV room, launderette

COLLEGIO CARDANO

Viale Resistenza,15