Your future starts now!
Welcome to Gonzaga Italian School!
Our School Levels
From Nido to Licei: A complete educational journey
"School does not exist to preserve itself, but to respond with courage to the challenges of the present and the future."
— Papa Francesco
Our Identity & Values
The Gonzaga Campus Italian School is rooted in the great Jesuit educational tradition, especially in Sicily, and is characterised by particular care for each student and their integral growth. From Nido (6 months) to Licei (18 years), our Italian School accompanies each student's entire growth journey within a single campus community.
Jesuit Humanistic Tradition
"To educate is to renew the world" — this was the revolutionary vision of the first Jesuits. The schools in Sicily (Messina 1548, Palermo 1549) were founded on the belief that good education makes life more authentic and the world better. Today we speak of a new humanism — caring for what is truly human within the ecological, digital and social challenges of our time.
Cura Personalis
The teacher welcomes, encourages and accompanies each student according to their own rhythm, finding strategies suited to their needs and talents. As students often say: "At Gonzaga we are not numbers — we feel seen as people." A dedicated tutor is assigned to every student across all school levels.
The Magis
In Ignatian pedagogy, excellence means living a full, conscious, authentic life — rejecting the temptation of mediocrity. The Gonzaga Campus encourages every student to discover and apply their talents, becoming "men and women with and for others" to build a more welcoming and just world.
Integral Formation
Attention to all aspects of the person — personal, social, spiritual — expressed through a holistic educational proposal. The curriculum encompasses spiritual formation, cultural growth, active citizenship and new technologies, woven together as true red threads across the entire offer.
A Full-Campus School
Una Scuola a Tutto CampusThe campus model translates a dynamic, innovative conception of school — open from morning to evening, designed around students, a source of continuous cultural and educational stimuli. It is not about adding an indeterminate number of activities, but connecting them into a harmonious whole around the person. The campus integrates academics, sport, arts, music, theatre, spiritual formation and service — while staying connected to the city and its challenges.
For New Challenges, New Answers
From the Nido to the Licei, Gonzaga Campus reads today's educational challenges as opportunities: occasions to renew methods and languages, strengthen alliances and accompany every student towards integral growth. Each school level addresses five key challenges, adapting them to the developmental stage of its students.
Emotional & Relational Growth
From the earliest months in the Nido through to the Licei, every level cultivates emotional intelligence, social competencies and authentic relationships. In the Nido and Infanzia we build the foundations of self-esteem and empathy; in Primaria, holistic wellbeing and socio-emotional education; in the Medie, socialisation, self-efficacy and self-valorisation; in the Licei, building a committed community and caring for the unique person.
Active & Experiential Learning
Play-based discovery in Infanzia, hands-on laboratories in Primaria, cooperative and interdisciplinary learning in the Medie, laboratory pedagogy and research in the Licei — the Ignatian cycle of experience-reflection-action runs through every stage. The school becomes less about transmission and more about exploration, with flexible environments and spaces that go beyond the traditional classroom.
Personalisation & Orientation
Cura personalis adapts at every age: individualised attention from the educator in the Nido, differentiated pathways in Primaria, channels and orientation in the Medie, progressive curriculum flexibility and integrated university preparation in the Licei. Every student is accompanied by a tutor in building awareness of their abilities, talents and life choices.
Alliance with Families & Community
From daily dialogue in the Nido to shared educational responsibility in the Licei, the relationship with families is a structural part of Gonzaga's educational identity. Open communication, school psychology services, shared workshops, parent formation and an educational pact accompany every level — because school and family walk together in the growth of every child and young person.
Each school level — from Nido to Licei — applies these responses specifically to the developmental stage of its students: emotional competencies and care for creation in the early years, technology and digital citizenship from Primaria onwards, orientation and future preparation from Medie to Licei. The Gonzaga approach grows with the child.
How We Teach, How We Learn
Since the 1500s, Jesuit pedagogy has embraced active teaching that goes beyond frontal instruction. The school becomes less about transmission and more a place of research and exploration — where the teacher facilitates experience and accompanies the student in critical reflection.
The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (PPI)
Five interconnected steps that place the student at the centre of a progressive learning cycle:
Context
ContestoUnderstanding each student's personal, social and cultural reality — their experiences, beliefs and prior knowledge — for meaningful, targeted teaching.
Experience
EsperienzaCreating opportunities for students to "feel" and "taste" what they are learning, connecting concepts to their personal and emotional world.
Reflection
RiflessioneGuiding students towards deeper understanding — elaborating information, developing critical thinking and creating personal synthesis.
Action
AzioneTranslating learning into concrete action — practical projects, fieldwork and group activities that develop responsible citizenship.
Evaluation
ValutazioneContinuous review of progress and growth — not a final judgement but a tool to monitor the entire educational journey.
The Three Learning Phases
Within each lesson, three phases structure the learning experience:
Praelectio
Meaningful LearningThe teacher activates students mentally and emotionally, connecting content to personal experiences to make learning deeply significant.
Lectio
Organised LearningThe teacher provides structure — detailed explanations, concept clarification and knowledge extension — enabling students to build complex understanding.
Repetitio
Interiorised LearningStudents reflect autonomously, re-elaborate concepts and transfer knowledge to new contexts — solidifying learning through personal ownership.
The Curriculum's Red Threads
Four interdisciplinary threads that run across every school level — from Nido to Licei — connecting academics, personal growth, technology and spirituality into a unified reading of the educational offer. Each thread is adapted specifically to each developmental stage, ensuring continuity and coherence throughout the educational journey.
Tutoria & Orientation
Cura Personalis at Every StageCura personalis is the heart of Gonzaga's educational approach and is expressed differently at each stage. In the Nido the educator observes and documents each child's unique journey; in Infanzia the teacher-tutor creates an emotional environment that nurtures security and creativity; in Primaria tutoring becomes the whole team's educational style with circle time and guided self-assessment; in Medie the class tutor accompanies through individual conversations, retreats and Licei orientation; in the Licei the personal tutor guides towards conscious university and life choices.
Across All Levels
Nido & Infanzia: attentive observation, personalised activities and constant family dialogue
Primaria: weekly circle time, guided reflections and growth portfolio
Medie: individual conversations, formative activities and Licei orientation pathways
Licei: assigned tutor in biennio, student-chosen in triennio, university preparation
All levels: study method support, self-assessment and family dialogue
Global Citizenship & Languages
Openness to the World from Nido to LiceiOpenness to the world begins from the earliest years. In the Nido and Infanzia children experience a bilingual Italian-English environment and participate in international days (Children's Rights, Earth Day, Legality Day); in Primaria Spanish is added along with deeper exploration of rights, legality and sustainability through narrative and artistic languages; in Medie three languages, international exchanges through the Jesuit school network and study trips; in the Licei Model United Nations, service experiences and PCTO with the third sector.
Across All Levels
Nido & Infanzia: bilingual immersion and multicultural activities celebrating diversity
Primaria: three languages (Italian, English, Spanish) and Memory, Fraternity, Earth days
Medie: international exchanges, study trips (England, USA) and MUN
Licei: service learning, PCTO and civic participation through the global Jesuit network
All levels: education in rights, sustainability and cultural diversity
Technology & Digital Citizenship
ITAS-GE Project from Nido to LiceiThe ITAS-GE project (Innovation, Technology and Sustainability in Gonzaga Education) integrates technology progressively and meaningfully. In Infanzia interactive Promethean panels and age-appropriate first coding activities; in Primaria guided use of digital tools for creation and documentation, computational thinking and family alliance for responsible device use; in Medie interdisciplinary STEAM pathways and AI literacy; in the Licei dedicated laboratories, advanced coding and ethical reflection on technology.
Across All Levels
Infanzia: Promethean panels in every classroom, age-appropriate coding, balance between digital and physical play
Primaria: digital tools for creation and research, source verification, digital citizenship
Medie: afternoon STEAM courses, coding across all three years, AI understanding
Licei: advanced STEAM labs, modelling, artificial intelligence and ethics
All levels: responsible digital citizenship — privacy, online respect and safety
Pastoral & Spiritual Animation
Ignatian Spirituality from Nido to LiceiSpiritual animation adapts to each phase of development. In the Nido and Infanzia the innate sense of wonder is nurtured through prayer in the Chapel, celebrations and care for creation; in Primaria brief moments of interiority, community celebrations and first service experiences (Danisinni neighbourhood, missionary fair); in Medie the MEG (Eucharistic Youth Movement), San Fratello mountain camp, symposia and community days; in the Licei deeper spiritual retreats, service and volunteer experiences, personal spiritual accompaniment.
Across All Levels
Nido & Infanzia: wonder, gratitude, liturgical celebrations and care for creation (Laudato Si')
Primaria: daily interiority, solidarity service and missionary fair
Medie: MEG, San Fratello mountain camp, symposia and community days
Licei: spiritual retreats, PCTO in volunteering, personal spiritual accompaniment
All levels: silence, gratitude, listening and connection to Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti
"Lo spazio come terzo educatore"
Spaces That Educate
One hundred years after its foundation, the Gonzaga Campus is renewing its spaces and teaching methods. The campus is designed as a "third educator" — an environment that facilitates, accompanies and enriches the learning experience through thoughtfully designed spaces open from morning to evening.
Classrooms & Labs
Renovated classrooms and new dedicated laboratories — physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences, computer science, STEAM and multimedia art — designed to support active, experiential learning.
Sports Facilities
Professional-level sports fields, indoor gym and partnership with Polisportiva Gonzaga — offering students access to diverse sports activities within the campus from the earliest years.
Green Spaces & Gardens
Extensive outdoor areas, didactic gardens and dedicated "villette" for Infanzia classes — supporting outdoor education, environmental awareness and direct contact with nature.
Library & Study Areas
A campus library and dedicated study spaces that encourage independent research, collaborative work and the joy of reading across all school levels.
Internal Canteen
Managed by Pellegrini Company with menus designed by professional nutritionists — the canteen is both a place of sharing and an opportunity for nutrition education.
Chapel & Spiritual Spaces
The Cappella San Giuseppe and dedicated spaces for interiority, prayer and spiritual gatherings — integral to the Ignatian educational experience at every school level.
Forum Scuola del Futuro
A virtual space where students, teachers, families, professionals, and all those who believe in educational change can meet, discuss, and propose innovative solutions for a school that truly responds to the needs of every student.
Open to Everyone
Students, teachers, families, professionals and all who believe in educational change.
Innovative Ideas
Proposals for a more inclusive, digital and modern school closer to every student's needs.
Real Dialogue
A space to discuss, reflect and co-create solutions for the future of education.
Concrete Impact
Ideas from the forum inform real changes in how we teach, learn and grow together.
Latest News
How to Get There
Find your way to Gonzaga Campus
Location
Gonzaga Campus is located in the heart of Palermo, at Via Piersanti Mattarella 38/42 – CAP 90141. The central location makes it easily accessible both by car and by public transport. It is well connected with the main urban bus lines and is a few minutes' walk from Viale della Libertà and Piazza Croci. For those arriving from outside the city, the central station is about 15 minutes away, while Falcone-Borsellino Airport can be reached in about 30 minutes by car.
Address
Via Piersanti Mattarella 38/42, 90141 Palermo, Italy