Celebrating 25 Years of ALCE

IALC Accredited School, ALCE Bologna, celebrated a very special milestone – its 25th anniversary – together with students, teachers, staff, families, friends, host families, and colleagues in its new school building.

“This was more than an official event,” said Luca Armaroli, Director of ALCE. “It was a celebration with our loved ones and all those who supported and encouraged us;  we opened the doors to what will become a new chapter in the ALCE experience.”

The evening began with a free aperitivo, allowing guests to explore the new spaces and sample Emilian food and wine specialties. A highlight was an intense and moving musical performance featuring arias from the Italian opera tradition, performed by Maestro Luca de Lorenzo, who came specially from the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, (who also performed at the 2018 IALC workshop in Bologna). Guests were later treated to culinary delights prepared by international chef, friend of the school, and President of the Artusiana Association, Chef Samuele Zani. The evening concluded with a celebratory cake, marking both a memorable occasion and the start of an exciting new adventure for the school.

ALCE’s new home, Villa Samvise, is a stunning Art Nouveau villa from the early 1900s.

“Our last location was already beautiful, but it was in a historic building on the second and third floors without a lift. We had been eyeing this new location for at least 5 years, just a 3-minute walk away, but it seemed unreachable. It was too beautiful. Then in January / February 2024 we tried to start negotiations to try to take it and we finally succeeded with a huge commitment and now we have been here since February,” added Luca.

The ground floor is truly one of a kind, incorporating a section of Bologna’s medieval city walls dating back to the year 1000 – a remarkable piece of history.

The interiors are finely decorated, with very high walls and artistic stucco, huge windows, wooden parquet floors, air conditioning in the whole spacer and custom-made furniture. There is no shortage of cutting-edge technological aids in the comfortable spacious classrooms and a sound system everywhere.

The school takes great pride in it’s independent access and private park with splendid green spaces and centuries-old trees, where students and teachers can relax for breaks. Additionally there are two reception rooms, one on each floor, ensuring constant contact with guests, a welcoming tavern, and a newly renovated kitchen that is twice the size of the previous one, serving both as a refreshment point “club” of Alce.

Congratulations once again to ALCE on celebrating 25 years of excellence in language education and for the grand opening of your beautiful new premises.