Vincenzo Monti was an Italian poet, playwright, translator, and scholar, the greatest interpreter of Italian neoclassicism in all of its various phases. His verse translation of the Iliad is considered one of the greatest of them all, with its iconic opening becoming an extremely recognizable phrase among Italians.

The University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. It was the sole university in Milan and the greater Lombardy region until the end of the 19th century. In 2022 the university was recognized by the Times Higher Education among the top 10 in Italy and among the 300 best in the world. Currently, it has 18 departments and 9 faculties. It does not have a main campus; its buildings and facilities are scattered around the city, which is in turn called "a city campus." The university caters to more than 20,000 students who come from Italy and all over the world.