Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was born on August 31st, 1870 in the Comune of Chiaravalle, in the Province of Ancona, Marche, Italy.
The only child of Alessandro and Renilde (nee Stoppani) Montessori, Maria was a gifted student whose education was undertaken in Rome, where the family relocated in 1875.
Initially aspiring to a career as an engineer, her focus diverted to medicine. Refused entry to this male-dominated field, Maria was eventually accepted to the University of Rome in 1890, following the intervention of no less than Pope Leo XIII.
Extraordinary determination was a trait that saw her overcome many obstacles throughout her life and in 1896 she graduated as a doctor. Shortly after, Maria’s involvement in the Women’s Rights movement began. That same year, she attended the International Women’s Congress in Berlin, Germany as the delegate for Italy. In 1899, whilst attending a women’s congress in London, England, she had an audience with the English monarch, Queen Victoria.
Maria became recognized as a highly competent practitioner. The empathy and respect she routinely demonstrated toward the patients in her care, irrespective of social class, marked her as someone quite different as this was uncommon at that time. Social reform became a cause that for her, was very important.
In 1897, Maria volunteered her time to join a research program at the University of Rome psychiatric clinic. She developed a keen interest in the needs of children with intellectual disabilities. This involvement led to her appointment as co-director of a new institution, the Orthophrenic School. An Orthophrenic school is one dedicated to the education of mentally disabled children.
By this stage, Maria was enthusiastically researching pedagogical philosophies at the University of Rome and developing her own methodology. The French physician Edouard Seguin (1812 – 1880), known for his work with cognitively impaired children, was a major influence.
An affair with her fellow co-director at the institute, Guisseppe Montesano, resulted in the birth of her only child, Mario Montessori Sr in 1898.
As a highly skilled practitioner, Maria used her power of observation to deduce that the children in her care responded to stimulation. Up to this point, intellectually disabled children were not considered, for the most part, capable of much at all. Their treatment was poor. Their food was often thrown on the floor, which they would consume like farm animals. The results obtained under Maria’s care and supervision were remarkable by any measure. Her interaction with the children using materials and newly defined methods was helping to fine-tune her teaching processes. Something quite significant was occurring. She succeeds in fostering the development of some of the children to such an extent that they achieve the same results on state exams as typically developing schoolchildren.
In 1901, Maria undertook a second degree in education, experimental psychology, and anthropology at the University of Rome. To further her anthropological research, she visits elementary schools.
Those same skills of observation that Maria employed to understand and better the lives of the pathetic children from the Orthophrenic School would become a basic tenet of the Montessori school teaching methodology.
In 1907, a chance occurrence provided Maria the opportunity to further test and enhance her developing theories. She was asked to tend a group of unruly waifs aged 3 to 6 in a disadvantaged area of San Lorenzo, Rome. These children were running amok due to a lack of supervision whilst their mostly illiterate parents worked. They were actively destroying a newly built apartment complex. Maria used the tools and teaching methodologies she was developing to engage these children and curb their unruly behaviour. A truly remarkable thing occurred, the children were totally transformed. From this, the Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House) was established. A second Children’s House was established in 1908 on Via Solari in Milan.
Maria introduced a range of activities and materials, observing how the children responded to each. Those activities and materials that engaged the children were kept, those that did not were removed. Materials and activities developed whilst working with the mentally disabled children at the Orthophrenic School were found to be as effective with socially disadvantaged children.
The outstanding results Maria’s methods were achieving attracted attention internationally, and led to the creation of a training course in 1909 for prospective practitioners. Further courses followed in 1910.
1909 also saw the publication, of ‘Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica applicato all’educazione infantile nelle Case dei Bambini’ (The Montessori Method – translated 1912). It became a bestseller in the U.S. Her second publication ‘L’Antropologia pedagogica’ (Pedagogical Anthropology) followed in 1910.
In 1911, Maria decided to focus her efforts on education and resigned from her post at the University of Rome, along with her medical practice.
By this stage, the Montessori method of teaching was being adopted in primary schools around the world. She traveled extensively as popularity and demand grew.
In 1917, Maria relocated to Barcelona, Spain, by invitation of the government. Her son Mario and his family soon followed. They remained there until the rise of a dictator, General Franco in 1936. Fleeing Spain, they settled in the Netherlands.
In 1929, Maria and Mario established the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), which exists and thrives to this day.
The German Nazi regime closed all Montessori schools in Germany in 1933, actions that were quickly mirrored by the fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, despite his previous admiration for the Montessori school system.
A 3-month visit to India in 1939 went awry as it coincided with the outbreak of the second world war. Being Italian citizens, and therefore classed as illegal aliens by the British government, Mario was sent to an internment camp whilst Maria was placed under house arrest. Maria devoted that time to the development of her approach toward supporting children in the 6 – 12 year age bracket. On the occasion of Maria’s 70th birthday in 1940, she requested the release of Mario. This was granted, and together they set about training over 1000 Indian teachers in the Montessori way. They remained there until after the cessation of hostilities in 1946.
The contribution of Mario to the development of the Montessori method should not be understated. He was immersed in the methodology from his childhood onwards and would have acted as an ideal test subject and sounding board for Maria. He was a valued contributor and collaborator.
In 1946 the Montissoris returned to the Netherlands. In 1947, Maria addressed UNESCO on the theme ‘Education and Peace’. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949, 1950, and 1951.
Maria Montessori died aged 81, May 6th, 1952, in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
Prior to Maria’s death, she appointed Mario as the heir to her work, a role he embraced fully and worked on with dedication for the rest of his life.
Mario Montessori Sr died aged 83, February 10th, 1982, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.