Your Smiling, Your home, Your future.
Live, study and grow in the heart of Ferrara.
Boarding School in Italy | Smiling International School Ferrara
Academic life & Study options
Smiling High School offers the following educational programmes:
The Boarding School service is an added value for IB Diploma students, who come from abroad and can move to Ferrara to fully live the international experience of the programme.
The IB develops creativity, research and critical thinking, preparing students for admission to top international universities.
From age 14, students can live and study in a truly international environment — in the heart of Ferrara
A place to learn, grow and feel at home.
Smiling Boarding
Smiling Boarding
Live and Study in Ferrara: More Than Just a Boarding School
Located on the top floor of Palazzo Gulinelli, a beautifully restored noble building in the heart of Ferrara, Smiling Boarding offers a boarding experience for high school students aged 14 and above.
The residence features bright rooms, each with a private bathroom and study area, overlooking Corso Ercole I d’Este or the private internal garden.
Students share modern common areas — a fully equipped kitchen and dining room, a laundry area, and a panoramic terrace with a beautiful view of the city and the Castello Estense.
Access to the building, rooms and shared spaces is managed with a personal key or magnetic card, that also activates the room’s power supply.
More than accommodation — a place to live, learn and grow.
WHY SMILING?
At Smiling, learning and real-life experience grow together.
Our Boarding School provides a safe, international environment that supports both academic achievement and personal growth.
Students learn to live responsibly, manage their time, and embrace different cultures gaining the confidence and skills to thrive anywhere in the world.
Testimonials
My name is Johann, and as an international student from Germany, I had an amazing experience at Smiling International School and its Boarding in 2024. The Boarding is located in the beautiful historic city center in Palazzo Gulinelli which has a truly magical atmosphere, and it makes you feel like you are part of living history. I lived in a huge double room with high ceilings, freshly renovated with a state-of-the-art bathroom, which made boarding life very comfortable. Sharing moments with friends and our kind supervisor Valentina created a warm, welcoming community. I loved cooking together and exploring Ferrara, all while improving my Italian. Overall, my time at Smiling was unforgettable, full of learning, fun, and lasting memories. I would not want to miss this experience.
Johann Kaufmann
Before moving to the boarding school, I was worried about the language barrier since I didn’t speak Italian. However, my tutor Valentina was very friendly and helped me feel at “home” despite our different backgrounds. I had great roommates and friends, and together we explored the city and studied. Living just one floor away from classes was very convenient, and the small community upstairs became like a family to me. I’m truly grateful for the welcoming environment and all the opportunities I experienced at Smiling International School.
Kira Markina
A Boarding in Ferrara equipped with every comfort
The furniture of each student room is made up of:
- Beds with night tables;
- Wardrobes, complete with drawers and shelves;
- Bed linen: bed sheets, pillow cases, pillow, duvet, mattress cover and winter duvet;
- Desks & chairs.
The kitchen-canteen is equipped with:
- 3 large tables with chairs;
- 1 oven & microwaves;
- Common refrigerators with freezers;
- 2 stations with induction cookers;
- Capsule coffee machines;
- Dishes;
- Pantry compartment for each tenant.
In the laundry room there are:
- A washing machine for washing bed linen;
- A washing machine available to tenants;
- A dryer;
- Drying racks.
Life in Ferrara
Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage city, offers the perfect balance between culture, safety and dynamic lifestyle. A peaceful, bike-friendly and vibrant environment is ideal for students to discover Italy for the first time in a real Italian city with an international soul.
How to reach Smiling Boarding School
Smiling Boarding is located inside Palazzo Gulinelli, in Corso Ercole I d’Este, in the centre of Ferrara.
The train station is only 1.6 km away and can be easily reached in 10 minutes by bus or 15 minutes on foot.
Several paid parking areas are available nearby:
- San Guglielmo Parking
- Diamanti Parking
- Piazza Fausto Beretta Parking
- Piazzetta Previati Parking
A central and well-connected location — easy to reach, easy to love.