About Us
History of the school
Built in 1888, between the scent of orange blossom and the green of citrus groves, with the aim of welcoming and training the best Sicilian male youth, the Pennisi College, located in the heart of the charming city of Acireale, is one of the most prestigious places of historical interest in Sicily. Strongly desired by the priest Giuseppe Carpinati, designed by Baron Agostino Pennisi di Floristella and architected by Sciuto Patti. The Jesuit College which is now a modern state high school, boasts a glorious story to tell its visitors.
A suggestive re-enactment of places and lives lived among the innumerable crowded environments once by many young men in uniform and by the Jesuit fathers, among the memories, the nineteenth-century paintings and the ancient photos, the coats of arms and the statues, between the chapel and the monumental stairs, the anecdotes and the fascinating testimonies of those who were part of them as educators and learners.
The Pennisi College, directed by the Jesuit Fathers intended to give its students solid formation, aimed to train the students in thought, as well as in their sensitivity and culture, keeping them firm in their convictions and noble in their ideals."
The School Management
Mr. Sebastiano Raciti, graduated in Philosophy, is the headmaster of Liceo Regina Elena since 2011/2012. His collaborators are Mrs. Cimino Giovanna, Mathematics teacher, Mrs. Chiarenza Anna, Italian and Latin teacher, Mrs. Bombaci Pietra, English teacher, Mr. Garozzo Salvatore, Mathematics teacher and school technician Giancarlo Caruso. Moreover the coordinators of our curricula are Mrs. Chiarenza Anna for the Human Sciences curriculum, Mrs. La Delfa for the Linguistic curriculum, English teacher, and the Mrs. Romano Anna for the Social Economic curriculum, Right and Economy teacher.
Something about Acireale
With its more than 50,000 inhabitants, Acireale is the most populous municipality in the province of Catania. Although the municipal territory faces a long stretch on the Ionian Sea, the historic centre of Acireale is located at an altitude of about 160 meters.
I will later dedicate a section of the article about a small promontory located in Acireale, It is what we know as Timpa.
This aerial view of Acireale and the Timpa, which can be found on Wikipedia that should give you a good idea of what it looks like. You can observe the predominant Sicilian Baroque style in the buildings of Acireale.