The Bangas Gymnasium became one of the most significant Greek educational institutions in the region during the late period of Ottoman rule.

In 1863, the Gymnasium consisted of five classes and started to operate in a new separate building, erected with the support of the local community fund, the Lasso.

[7] In 1889, the national benefactor, entrepreneur and member of the local diaspora, Ioannis Pangas, took the initiative and subsidized educational and cultural projects, for the benefit of the Greek people in general.

[8] Among his initiatives, was an offer of 18,000 French francs, on annual basis, for the needs of the Gymnasium, including coverage of the teachers salary payments.

[11] During the Balkan Wars, the building of the Gymnasium was used as barracks by the Ottoman troops and then by the Greek Army.

[14] Nevertheless, the Bangas Gymnasium continued its operation for some years, as a religious academy (Greek: Μπάγκειο Ιεροδιδασκαλείο Bageio Ierodidaskaleio) under the direction of Vasileios Ioannidis.

[16] Additional subjects included mathematics, history, French, Latin, Turkish, religion, geography and philosophy.

[16] After a proposal by the local metropolitan bishop Photios, gymnastics became also part of the school program in the 1903-1904 schoolyear.