The Italian Archaeological School of Athens (SAIA) was founded in 1909. It is the only Italian archaeological institution abroad, under the direction of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. The School conducts, promotes and supports research on Greece and Greek culture, from prehistory to the Byzantine era, in connection with the East, Africa and continental Europe. Its research fields inlude archaeology, art history, topography, architecture, epigraphy, numismatics, history, history of religions, literature and philosophy. It is dedicated to the training of young scholars, the support of research programmes, the dissemination of results, and the enhancement of Greece's archaeological heritage.