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History

The Collegio di Santa Maria della Misericordia in Ascona, better known as the Collegio Papio--named after its first benefactor, the Ascona native and Roman citizen Bartolomeo Papio--represents, in the complex of private schools in Canton Ticino, the institution with the oldest educational tradition.

Founded by the testamentary will of Bartolomeo Papio of Ascona (1526-1580), it had the character of a Pontifical College until 1965, when the Holy See donated the College to the Diocese of Lugano.

From the origins to the end of the eighteenth century

Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, was the executor of Bartolomeo Papio's will and used the work of Tibaldo Pellegrini for the architectural construction of the new college. Between 1585 and 1602, Pellegrini completed the construction of the cloister and college, leaning against the pre-existing church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, the foundation stone of which had been laid on November 15, 1399, and the consecration had taken place on October 23, 1442.

The College of Ascona was directed until 1798 by the Milanese Oblates of Saints Ambrose and Charles, who always maintained two different schools: one internal, a real small seminary, for pupils who intended to follow the ecclesiastical vocation; the other external, for lay pupils from Ascona and Locarno.

From the French Revolution to the early twentieth century

At the end of 1798 the Milanese Oblates left the College. With the advent of the Helvetic Republic for one year (1800-1801) the College became a public school. But at the end of that year the Helvetic government authorized the parish priests of Ascona to take the school back. The College experienced the most diverse vicissitudes in the following years: it was directed by Ascona parish priests, Ticino priests and a few lay people, passing from the protection of the Archbishops of Milan to that of the Bishops of Como (1821).

In 1852 the College fell victim to the forfeiture of church property enacted by the radical cantonal government: most of the archival records went missing, furniture and even the church's silverware, a personal gift from Cardinal Federigo Borromeo, who had been the College's first great legislator, were taken away.

During this period (1852-1878), the College, directed by various laymen, was a public Gymnasium, Girls' School, and Helvetic Institute of Languages and Commerce, with mixed fortunes.

When the Apostolic Administration of Ticino was created in 1885 (Diocese of Lugano since 1971), Pope Leo XIII entrusted the College, which in the meantime had returned to being directed by a Ticino parish priest, Fr. Alessandro Verda, to the Apostolic Administrators (Bishops) of Lugano.

Two religious orders succeeded each other in leadership: the Salesians from 1894 to 1910 and the Assumptionists from 1910 to 1917.

The Benedictine period (1924-1964)

After a short period but of great neglect and decay, from 1924 to 1964 the Benedictines of Einsiedeln, called by Bishop Aurelio Bacciarini, revived the College.

Under them the College experienced a period of great cultural vitality, adding high school courses to its gymnasium studies, with the achievement of the Federal Maturity, whose first session in Ticino (Locarno), by decision of the Federal Council, was held in 1933.

The diocesan period

After the Benedictines left, Bishop Angelo Jelmini handed over the management of the Institute to the Diocesan Clergy (1964) and the Holy See made a gift of the College property to the Apostolic Administration of Ticino (1965).

Since then, the College has adapted its facilities to the 'pedagogical evolution taking place; intensified the collaboration of lay teachers; welcomed pupils in all classes; maintained the boarding school, mainly for high school classes; built a modern sports center; and completely renovated its logistic facilities, constructing a new building, which was inaugurated on Oct. 18, 1996.

The college currently consists of a four-year parochial middle school and a high school, also a four-year high school, which prepares students to take the Swiss Baccalaureate Examination.