University of Milano in Milan

The University of Milano or Università degli Studi di Milano is one the largest universities in the country with about 63,000 students. The teaching and research staff amounts to 2,455 and the non-teaching staff to 2,200. The University of Milano is a member of the League of European research Universities. The University is also known as Statale; one of the reasons is to avoid confusion with other academic institutions in Milan. The Statale University was founded on September 30, 1923, when the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy of the Milan Accademia was joined with the Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento. The latter had been founded by Luigi Mangiagalli in 1906. In 1998, the so-called Second University of Milan was founded at Bicocca, today known as the University of Milano - Bicocca.

The Statale is housed in a Milan’s former hospital, which was built by Francesco Sforza. The cente of the building and part of the central courtyard dates back to the 15th Century, while the rest was completed in the 17th and 18th Centuries. The building is an extraordinary example of the early application of functional principles in hospital architecture. Its unique long facade makes it worth a visit. This Gothic-Renaissance terracotta decor can be seen on Via Festa del Perdono. It also features splendid courtyards. The main one, Cortile del Filarete, was designed in the 17th Century. From the far corner on the right, visitors can reach a series of smaller courtyards.