The Cairoli college was founded in 1782 by Joseph II of Austria, and inaugurated in 1783 as the Hungarian Germanic College for theology students. It was closed in 1796 under the French occupation of the city before being transformed into army barracks until 1947, when it was given to the University of Pavia. It reopened in 1948 under the name of the Cairoli Brothers' College (Collegio Fratelli Cairoli).