The British Institute of Florence was founded in 1917 with the aim of developing cultural understanding between the UK and Italy (particularly Tuscany) through the teaching of their respective languages and cultures and the maintenance in Florence of a Library.
It is registered as an educational Charity in England and Wales and was granted a Royal Charter in 1923. In 1953 it was recognised in the Anglo-Italian Cultural Convention as an official representative of British Culture in Italy.
Officially recognised by the President of the Regione Toscana as a cultural institute of major importance to the Tuscan region,The British Institute of Florence is not simply a language school but a modern centre of cultural exchange.
In 2000 the Institute became an Associate of the University of Bristol. It also collaborates with the Centre for Tuscan Studies, University of Leicester.