Cities / Barcelona / Liceo Italiano de Barcelona
Liceo Italiano de Barcelona
State-affiliated Italian school in Eixample (Pg Méndez Vigo). Italian state curriculum; very low fees.
In brief
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.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Scuola primaria (1st child, €162/mo ×9) | 6 | €1,458 |
| Scuola primaria (1st child, €162/mo ×9) | 7 | €1,458 |
| Scuola primaria (1st child, €162/mo ×9) | 8 | €1,458 |
| Scuola primaria (1st child, €162/mo ×9) | 9 | €1,458 |
| Scuola primaria (1st child, €162/mo ×9) | 10 | €1,458 |
| Scuola secondaria 1° grado (1st child, €128/mo ×9) | 11 | €1,152 |
| Scuola secondaria 1° grado (1st child, €128/mo ×9) | 12 | €1,152 |
| Scuola secondaria 1° grado (1st child, €128/mo ×9) | 13 | €1,152 |
| Liceo scientifico (1st child, €384/trim ×3) | 14 | €1,152 |
| Liceo scientifico (1st child, €384/trim ×3) | 15 | €1,152 |
| Liceo scientifico (1st child, €384/trim ×3) | 16 | €1,152 |
| Liceo scientifico (1st child, €384/trim ×3) | 17 | €1,152 |
| Liceo scientifico (1st child, €384/trim ×3) | 18 | €1,152 |
| Iscrizione (annual registration) | €160 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Enrollment Contribution | €160 |
Reviews
An Italian state school operating abroad, with roots in Barcelona going back to the late 1800s and the Montessori-linked early years still anchoring the kindergarten in Sarrià. Curriculum, calendar and exams follow the Italian system, with Catalan, Spanish and English layered alongside. Families who land here tend to land for the language and the cultural through-line; the academic demand and the state of the buildings come up in roughly equal measure.
Positives
- Italian curriculum, end to end. A full Italian state pathway from infanzia through liceo scientifico, with the Esame di Stato at the end. For families moving between Italy and Catalonia, the continuity is the draw.
- Four-language environment. Italian is the working language, with Catalan, Spanish and English built into the timetable. Students leave functional in all four rather than strong in one.
- Montessori-rooted early years. The infanzia section in Sarrià keeps a recognisably Montessori register, with play-based numeracy and literacy and a small staff that parents single out warmly.
- Academically demanding senior years. The liceo scientifico runs at full Italian-system intensity, with Latin, philosophy and a heavy science load. Alumni describe it as hard going at the time and worth it afterwards.
Considerations
- Facilities and building condition. The two campuses show their age. Parents describe tired bathrooms, patchy heating, limited lab and library space, and tight outdoor areas for the student numbers. Accessibility is also flagged as thin.
- Management style under current leadership. Commentary on the headship is mixed at best. Parents talk about communication gaps around policy, fees and day-to-day decisions, and a sense that the school is being held together rather than developed.
- Pace can bite in the middle years. The jump in workload through middle school catches some students out, and a few parents flag uneven results on basics like written Italian and arithmetic before the liceo. Others see the same pace as the point of an Italian school.
- Premises history. Property and lease questions around the buildings have surfaced in Italian press and at parliamentary level in the past, and the underlying arrangement with Casa degli Italiani sits behind the school rather than fully resolved.
Leadership
Prof.ssa Patrizia Carfagna
Prof.ssa Patrizia Carfagna is the Principal of the Istituto Italiano Statale Comprensivo di Barcellona, appointed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI). She holds a degree in Literature and Philosophy from "La Sapienza" University of Rome, along with degrees in Piano and Music Didactics. She has completed advanced Master's degrees in school management and governance. Her professional career includes serving as a Principal in several Italian institutes since 2007 and university-level teaching. She is also a board member of the INNOTECS international network and has extensive experience in coordinating European educational projects and Erasmus initiatives.
Accreditations
- Italian Ministry of Education — Ufficio Scolastico 01