Maria Montessori

Who was Maria Montessori?

Maria Montessori was born in Ancona, Italy in 1870. She was one of the first woman in Italy to study medicine. Subsequently, for 2 years, she directed the children’s ward at the Psychiatric University Clinic in Rome.

Besides her university degree as a physician she studied anthropology and philosophy. In 1907 she received an offer to open a school in San Lorenzo, one of the poorest areas of Rome.

There she was able to observe the children in a different environment and to develop a philosophy meetings their needs. In 1934, despite her big success in Italy, Dr. Maria Montessori was forced by Mussolini to close her schools.

Therefore she had to leave the country and she then dedicated herself to the supervision of Montessori training centers for teachers in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, the USA and India where she lived during World War II. It can be said that, at present, it is hard to find a country without at least one Montessori school.