Description of the attraction
The College of Papio, officially called the College of the Holy Virgin Mary of the Merciful, is an old educational institution based in Ascona. It was built at a Dominican monastery in 1585 at the initiative of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo. The Renaissance building project was provided by the architect Pellegrino Tibaldi. The money for the construction of the school was allocated by the local rich man Bartolomeo Papio, after whom the college is named.
The real adornment of both the college and the Dominican monastery is the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, which is dedicated to Our Lady of Merciful. It served as a place for prayer for seminarians and is still used for its intended purpose. Services are held here, for which college students and residents of nearby houses gather. In 2006-2008, the church was reconstructed. The restorers paid special attention to the preservation of the wonderful frescoes on the dome and in the central aisle. You can walk to the church through the courtyard of the college, where you should stop to see light two-tier galleries and a fountain with a polygonal bowl in the center. This courtyard is considered one of the most picturesque Renaissance patios in Switzerland.
Governed for many years by representatives of various religious organizations (Salesians, Assumptionists), the Papio College has been subordinate to the Diocese of Lugano since 1935. Pupils of the Pontifical College in the future occupy the highest positions in the state apparatus. Some presidents of the Swiss Confederation, members of the State Council, ambassadors, UN members, leaders of the European Union countries, heads of world famous companies, etc., studied here at one time. Some famous artists and scientists of world renown also graduated from this college.
