cultural extension courses, and exhibitions, and is the headquarters of several university museums and research centers. Inside the Casona, the Salón de Grados stands out —formerly the Chapel of Loreto—, where the official ceremonies of the honorary doctorates awarded by the university are held. Royal College of the University of San Marcos The "Royal College" Cultural Center of Contemporary Peruvian Cultures, established as such in 2006, is the second cultural center of the University of San Marcos and also one of the historic buildings of Lima as it is located in the environment of the old "Royal College" of San Marcos dating from the colonial period, next to the Congress of the Republic of Peru. It is made up of three units of the university: the Institute of Applied Linguistics CILA, the "Domingo Angulo" Historical Archive of the University of San Marcos, and the Andean Rural History Seminar. Exhibitions and shows are regularly held, which mainly take place in the exhibition hall of the Royal College. The history of the Royal College dates back to the end of the 16th century, when it was founded on the initiative of Viceroy Francisco Álvarez de Toledo in 1592. It was a school that studied canons and laws, for the education of the children, grandchildren, and descendants of the conquerors, Spaniards, and residents of the kingdom, as well as people of recognized merit. The rector of the college was also the rector of the University of San Marcos; the day-to-day administration of the school fell to the vice-rector, who lived in the cloister. Both positions had a duration of two years and were maintained even in the event that the rector ceased to be the rector of the University. The rectoral biennium ran from June 28, the eve of the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The constitutions and ceremonies of the Colegio Mayor Santa Cruz were kept in the College. After the Bourbon reforms that led to the expulsion of the Jesuits, the campus was recast as the Convictorio de San Carlos. At the end of the 18th century, the War Inspector Gabriel de Avilés y del Fierro dedicated the premises to the headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Lima. Later, during the Republican era, it was the headquarters of the General Staff of the Army. Since the end of the 20th century, the University of San Marcos has given the