The Institute was formed in 1900 through the conversion of the Scuola Tecnica "Dante", which had been present in Florence for 36 years subsequent to the technical school reform established by the Royal Decree of 1898. The school was first located in Via della Scala. During World War I, it moved to premises in Via Malcontenti, until, in 1929, the City Administration decreed the construction of the new building, inaugurated in 1932. Since then, the Institute has continued to operate on the same premises, enlarged several times under the jurisdiction of the City of Florence.

The school has a scientific and technological collection formed of instruments used for teaching and instruments used for production, pertinent to the most common scientific and technological disciplines. Most of the instruments (19th and 20th centuries) were constructed within the Institute, only some of them having been purchased or donated; several of them come from the Officine Galileo.

The school's library is particularly important. With its 34,000 volumes, it is the biggest school library in Tuscany, and is largely made up of texts used in teaching. It contains catalogues, manuals of operation and manufacturers' price lists, a historic repertory, articles from newspapers and collections of specialised reviews. In the photographic library are historic photos of the school.