The former University of Asmara, now mostly closed as a teaching institution and split into specialised colleges, occupies a pleasant campus of Italian-era buildings on the western edge of the city. The original main building was the Convento dei Padri Cappuccini; the chapel attached to it dates from 1894 and is one of the oldest surviving Italian structures in Asmara.
The campus is normally open to walk through in daytime. The gardens are well-kept, and the cool stone cloister is a nice escape from the midday sun. The view back across the city from the upper terrace takes in much of the colonial-era skyline.