Founded in Milan in 1921 by Father Agostino Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is Europe's most important Catholic university.

It is also the only university in Italy with campuses all over the country: in Milan, Piacenza, Cremona, Brescia and Rome – which is also home to the Agostino Gemelli General Hospital. Academic excellence, a commitment to charting the frontiers of research, and high standards of services are the strengths of an institution long recognised for its openness to innovation and change. Università Cattolica holds a place in European tradition as a seat of cultural development; the strong and essential focus on a comprehensive, unifying building of knowledge facilitates an understanding and interpretation of the complexities of life today. The university’s mission translates into the offer of an education focused on development of the person as a whole.

Based on these ideals and this commitment, Università Cattolica has educated many of the individuals in past and present positions of leadership in Italy. The thousands of graduates since the institution's foundation include eminent scholars, politicians, lawyers, educators, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, professionals, journalists, writers, publishers, and Church leaders. And there are so many other graduates, some better known than others, who have contributed to building Università Cattolica's reputation in Italy and around the world.