Maria Montessori was born in 1870, the only child in a well-to-do Italian family. Studied medicine and became Italy’s first female medical doctor. Professor of anthropology and psychology. Started her pedagogical work with special needs children where she achieved good results.

In 1907 Montessori opened the first Casa dei Bambini (“Children’s House”), a preschool for children aged three to six from the San Lorenzo slum district of Rome, applying her methods now to children of normal intelligence. Her successes led to the opening of other Montessori schools, and for the next 40 years she traveled throughout Europe, India, and the United States lecturing, writing, and establishing teacher-training programs. After periods in Spain and Sri Lanka she settled in the Netherlands.