Nunziatella

Nunziatella is the oldest military high school in Italy, located in Naples. Founded at the end of the eighteenth century, it trained officers for different state forms, from the Neapolitan Republic to the Italian Republic. For two centuries it was a male institution. In 2009 the school opened to female students through a limited quota, removed in 2014. In the latest intake, girls represent about 35 percent of new admissions.

Students enter at 14 and attend a three year program leading to military academies or civilian universities. Not all pursue military careers. Alumni include figures in public institutions and professional fields.

The school is housed in a former Jesuit convent in the Monte di Dio district. Daily activities include training, study, and public presence in uniform within the city. Students participate in official ceremonies and maintain long standing traditions linked to the institution.

Female students have progressively increased their presence and academic performance within the school. They follow the same curriculum, discipline, and evaluation system as male students. The project documents their entry and permanence in a historically male structure.