  Within the framework of general relativity, we explore the interior of the
Schwarzschild black hole before complete collapse occurs, finding that the
exterior is perfectly compatible with a source much more complex than a
pointlike mass. We provide a set of inner geometries for singular and regular
black holes that smoothly joint the Schwarzschild exterior at the horizon
$r=h=2{\cal M}$, and which can therefore be regarded as suitable initial
conditions for collapse. In particular, the regular solutions might be an
alternative to the Schwarzschild black hole as the final stage of gravitational
collapse, and thus useful to study the validity of general relativity in
environments of high curvature.
