The institute was founded in 1868, the year in which the Commune of Pistoia decided to establish a three-year technical institute geared to commercial studies, to provide for completing basic education and to satisfy the local labour demand. In 1904 the institute was named for the Pistoia mathematician and physicist Enrico Betti. In 1941 a two-year technical commercial course was instituted and in 1959, with the new legislation on education, the commercial school was separated from the Betti, assuming its present name. In 1994 it adopted the statute still in force today.

The collection of educational materials includes various types, acquired in the years 1950-65. In addition to instruments for experiments in physics, it includes apparatus for chemistry, merchandise boxes containing the main products of commercial interest, a small rock collection and a herbarium compiled by the teachers and pupils of the Institute. It also includes calculating machines and typewriters dating from a period ranging from 1950 to 1975.