Our school

Founded in 1889, the Società Dante Alighieri … LA DANTE … is without question the “excellence” of the Italian language and culture all over the world. The Florence centre is located in a prestigious 16th century ex-cloister with frescoed walls and vaulted ceilings in the historic centre of this beautiful Renaissance city.

Our main asset at LA DANTE is our highly qualified and experienced instructors who use innovative teaching methods to encourage active participation and motivated learning.  Our small class size, with  maximum 12 students per class, ensures that our students receive more individual attention.  We make sure that learning the Italian language is a memorable … and enjoyable experience for our students!      

LA DANTE offers a wide variety of Italian language courses, as well as special classes in Italian culture, history, music and cooking … all at very competitive prices.  Special technical courses for business managers and for teachers of Italian as a foreign language are also available.

LA DANTE is the official examination centre in Florence for the PLIDA Certificate, a comprehensive Italian proficiency exam offered twice each year.  The PLIDA Certificate is offered at six levels of aptitude and covers all four linguistic skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.  We also organise courses that prepare candidates for the PLIDA Certificate Examination.

As the Florence centre of Società Dante Alighieri, LA DANTE hosts a wide range of cultural events in our “Great Hall” including literary and music receptions.   Our students are welcome to participate!

All students at LA DANTE receive a complementary tour of Florence, a welcome reception with our instructors and staff and reduced prices at several restaurants & hotels in Florence, plus discounts at a nearby gym and internet point.  HHousing may also be arranged at the student’s request.

Please note that LA DANTE is the only Italian language school in Florence associated with the prestigious Società Dante Alighieri.  We are not affiliated with other Italian language schools in Florence that have the name Dante Alighieri in their title.

Why Study Italian in Florence?

Italy became a unified country only in 1861.  At that time there was no such thing as “the Italian language”.  Instead there were (and still are) over 100 local dialects scattered along the Italian peninsula.  As one of its first official acts, the Italian government mandated that the Tuscan dialect, with its strong literary traditions of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, would be designated as “the Italian language”.  Over time this bold decision has helped to unify the country linguistically.  The Italian language … in reality the Tuscan dialect … is what students study in the Italian school system, what you see on Italian television, what you read in the Italian newspapers and what you hear in Italian movies.  Although the Italian language is universally understood throughout Italy, local dialects are still widespread and spoken among friends, family and what you hear most often when walking around any Italian city.  Italian dialects vary greatly.  It would be difficult for someone from Naples for example, to understand the local dialect spoken in Venice.  Here in Florence, when you walk outside the classroom, the Florentine people are speaking the same language you have been studying in the classroom. The fact that the Tuscan dialect is the Italian language is a huge advantage for studying Italian in Florence.  This is the reason why Florence is home to 53 Italian campuses of American and British universities.  It was recently determined that Florence has the highest population of American students at the university level outside the United States.