Montessori Programs and Environments

In Rome in 1907, Maria Montessori established Casa dei Bambini, the Children’s House, in collaboration with a building project supported by the banks of Italy. Casa dei Bambini included the children from lower-income families, from ages 2.5 to 7, in the San Lorenze district. This multistory apartment building housed the original Casa dei Bambini with an enclosed courtyard for outdoor experiences. The families living within this poverty-stricken area of Rome were encouraged to enroll their children in Montessori’s school. Young children with disabilities were welcomed and included in the school population because Montessori believed that all children had a capacity to learn. At the Centenary of the Montessori Movement conference in 2007, the Bank of Italy opened its Montessori Preschool for tours. The collaboration between ...