Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle in 1870. Among the first Italian women to graduate in medicine, she initially worked with children then labelled “abnormal” and explored relationships between development, environment and education. In 1907 she opened the first Casa dei Bambini in Rome, developing an approach grounded in observation, independent activity, a prepared environment and materials supporting sensory and cognitive development.

She subsequently trained teachers, published her research and spread the method internationally. The Fascist regime closed Italian Montessori schools in 1934. She also lived and worked in Spain, the Netherlands and India, and died in Noordwijk in 1952. In Italy, the Opera Nazionale Montessori preserves her legacy.

Source

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Opera Nazionale Montessori — Maria Montessori