Maria Amalia Vaz de Carvalho Secondary School has a long and rich history. It was created in 1885, having as its main objective - of broad social scope for the time - "the emancipation of women through education". Accompanying the transformations that the 25th of April movement in 1974 brought to the Portuguese society, the Lyceum stopped being exclusively feminine, starting to receive, gradually its first mixed classes.  Open to students, the School is also open to the professional training of its teachers. Many of the former pupils of the Liceu occupy, nowadays, an important place in the Portuguese society, participating, consciously, in our collective life through the exercise of several professions and activities.