The Istituto di Istruzione Superiore Ignazio e Vincenzo Florio (often abbreviated IIS "Florio") is a state upper-secondary school in Erice, Sicily, specialising in hospitality and catering.
The school originated in the 1980s in Palazzo Sales (the former Santa Teresa monastery) in the hilltop historic centre. In 1992 it moved its main campus to the lower-lying area of Casa Santa.
Instruction is provided in hospitality and catering, with pathways in enogastronomia (kitchen), sala e vendita (food and beverage service), and accoglienza turistica (tourist hospitality); the institute also offers a Liceo del Made in Italy programme.
In 2016 the school re-established a presence in the hilltop historic centre at Palazzo Sales, opening Officucina teaching laboratories there in 2019 and expanding the learning spaces in 2024 with projects funded under ItalyâÂÂs National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The Officucina are purpose-built culinary laboratoriesâÂÂprofessional teaching kitchens designed for food innovation projects and hands-on training.
In the 2020s the institute also opened student boarding facilities (convitto) in the former San Carlo convent (2021) and the former Grand Hotel Igea (2022). In 2023âÂÂ25 the Erice municipality redeveloped the Porta Spada gymnasium (Italian: palestra di Porta Spada) with â¬1.7 million in PNRR funds; the council indicated the facility would be assigned to the institute for morning use, with community associations using it in the afternoons.
The school also hosts public demonstrations and masterclasses; past guests have included American television chef Marc Murphy, Michelin-starred chef Giuseppe Costa of Il Bavaglino, and television chef Fabio Potenzano. In 2024 it ran an Erasmus+ bakery and chocolate masterclass with Belgian chefs Stijn Van Kerckhoven and Gilles Discart.