Istituto Italiano Statale Comprensivo di Barcellona

Italian state school in Barcelona, run directly by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Founded as a private initiative in 1882 by the Italian charitable society Casa degli Italiani, granted state-school status in 1951, and reorganised into a single comprehensive in 2003.

Two sites: the Maria Montessori primary and Edoardo Amaldi lower secondary share a Sarrià building, while the Liceo Scientifico sixth form sits in the historic Pasaje Méndez Vigo in the Eixample. Teaching in Italian throughout, with Spanish, Catalan and English as foreign languages. Pupils sit Italian state exams and follow the Italian curriculum, which gives access to Italian universities without further conversion.

Fees are nominal because the school is directly state-run, a significant cost advantage for Italian families on assignment in Barcelona. The honest counterpoint is the building: long-running complaints describe heating problems, dated bathrooms, and limited adaptation for pupils with disabilities. Strong Italian community feel, weak physical plant. The right choice for Italian-speaking families who want continuity with Italy, the wrong choice for families looking for a polished international product.

• Italian-state school in Barcelona running primary and lower secondary across the Maria Montessori and Edoardo Amaldi sites.
• Public reviews are sharply divided. Positive feedback focuses on the kindergarten's Montessori approach, hard-working teachers and the multilingual curriculum.
• Negative reviews are unusually direct. Parents describe the building as semi-abandoned, with dirty walls, broken bathroom doors, no heating and inadequate outdoor space.
• Several reviews flag outdated teaching methods, weak provision for students with disabilities or academic difficulties, and management as poor.
• Long-time parents note the school's previous reputation as a high-quality Italian alternative to Spanish state schools has eroded under current leadership.
• Ex-students separately raise mental-health and trauma concerns from their time at the school; these remain individual accounts rather than a documented pattern.