This is also called "Palazzo del Collegio (dei Nobili)" or "Palazzo degli Scolopi". The "Collegio dei Nobili" in the past housed several scientific activities, among which there were the eighteenth century's "Pubbliche Accademie di Fisica Sperimentale" (Public Academies of Experimental Physics). It was built by order of Clement XI Albani and destined to the Piarist Fathers, who had already been present since the 17th century; the building work started in 1705. The "Palazzo" is noble and austere in its classical forms, it had an absolutely pre-eminent position as it was placed in the central square, the inevitable crossroads for the citizens of Urbino; the spectacular effect has been however impoverished by the later building development in the surrounding area at the end of the nineteenth century. The Collegio dei Nobili, continously run by the Piarists ( except for two short interruptions) for nearly two centuries, played a fundamental role in education, both in the town and in the surroundings. After the secularization of the schools of Urbino (1884), it was transformed into the Regio Liceo (dedicated to Raffaello Sanzio in 1865), and, in spite of the variety of the school system, it still mantained for a long time a prestigious position, linked to its long cultural tradition. Some decades ago the "Liceo-Ginnasio Raffaello" was moved to another seat, and the palace now is used for various public activities.