Brera Fine Arts Academy - The Academy is one of the most important art education institutions in Italy. It was founded in 1776, and underwent a period of intense development during the Napoleonic period, when a Library and a Gallery were formed on its premises. From then on, its reputation has grown progressively, to the point that it has become a location fostering links and exchanges amongst students and professors from both European countries and from further afield. The Academy has a large artistic heritage that is useful for teaching purposes, such as plaster casts and sculptures, the Historic Archive, the Drawings and Prints collection, and the collections of paintings and photographs. Many of the Academy’s students went on to become famous artists: for example, Giuseppe Pelizza da Volpedo (who studied under Francesco Hajez), Giovanni Segantini and sculptor Medardo Rosso. Its many important professors include figures such as Achille Funi and Carlo Carrà. Nobel prize winner Dario Fo also frequented the Academy.