The university, one of the oldest in Europe, was founded in 1361 by Galeazzo II Visconti, who set up courses in law, medicine and liberal arts. The Universty underwent subsequent changes, but thanks to the Austrian rule, it keeps its present architectural structure. In fact, under the Austrian rule, the univesity teachings were reformed, the buildings were restored in the neoclassical style and enlarged by the architects Piermarini and Pollack. New lecture halls were added: the Library called “Teresiana”, Antonio Scarpa’s anatomy theatre and the physics theatre, where Alessandro Volta showed the invention of the pile to Napoleon. In the 20th century the University also occupied the complex of the nearby San Matteo Hospital, a Renaissance crossshaped building with terracotta decorated courtyards.