The Leonian Pontifical College to train young priests in Anagni was established by Pope Leo XIII in a period of tension with the Italian state that had confiscated the Dominican convent and had transformed it into a national female boarding school.
The pope's response was to create another educational institution dedicated to young people who had started an ecclesiastical career and to have the Jesuits run it.
It was designed by architect Bonanni and built where once stood the small church of the Madonna della Mercede (demolished) and it was inaugurated on October 28, 1897 with the bull Etsi paternam.
The architect had worked with the Pope in Carpineto Romano, birthplace of Pope Leo XIII. The 108-meter long façade has three floors and dominates Anagni's profile towards the Valle dei Latini.
Inside, in addition to the 80 rooms, there are conference rooms, a theatre, an extensive philosophical-theological library and a large chapel.
In the main chapel there is a tapestry depicting the Mater Salvatoris, donated by the Diocese of Regensburg to Pope Leo XIII.
Today the diocesan clergy manages the college.
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