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Today we take a moment to remember Maria Montessori. On May 6, 1952, "Maria Montessori went on from this life," as her son Mario wrote. Touched by the unanimous feeling of responsibility expressed by the Montessori community, with a deep dedication to further the work, Mario observed that it had always been Maria…

Welcome to the AMI Montessori Digital LibraryAMI is delighted to be able to launch a beta version of the AMI Montessori Digital Library on the occasion of our 2024 Annual General Meeting.This project would not have been possible without generous grant funding and the farsighted vision of philanthropists and the…

AMI is very sad to announce that Carolina Montessori passed away, unexpectedly, today, in the early hours of Sunday, 7 April, 2024.Carolina was known to many of you as the most knowledgeable person in respect of the details of her great-grandmother’s life and work. She was committed to ensuring that the facts of Maria…

AMI’s library, as well as the historical archives, are an excellent resource for researchers, who include students, PhD candidates, teachers, trainers in training, trainers, Montessori authors and journalists. Research questions were received from Germany, Italy, England, France, Spain, the United States, Scandinavia,…

AMI is pleased to work with Nienhuis Montessori (a Heutink International brand) to provide a history of their long association in the production of Montessori materials.

Maria Montessori's writings are preserved with the utmost care and the writings of Mario M. Montessori are currently being scanned and catalogued. The Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, in collaboration with the AMI editing team, is preparing a selection of Mario's most seminal writings.

The archives and library have also benefitted from donations of books and historical personal documents of legacy Montessorians, such as Claude Claremont, Margot Waltuch, Phoebe Child, Margaret Homfray, Antonietta Paolini, Grazia Honegger Fresco, and Maria Maraini.Publishing and editing archival texts that were…

Jean Miller Donates Collection to the AMI Montessori Digital LibraryDr Jean Miller, AMI 6–12 Trainer, has donated her extensive collection of Montessori papers and archival records to AMI to be included in the AMI Montessori Digital Library.Jean’s long career has spanned more than 40 years.  She trained for the…

Throughout its 50-year history the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA) has provided teachers, schools, and parents with support to further their understanding of Montessori principles. NAMTA has been instrumental in advancing the work of Montessori scholarship, administration, professional…

The AMI team in Amsterdam was invited to watch the screening and meet with the director of the upcoming movie Maria Montessori La Nouvelle Femme. The film, directed by Léa Todorov, is set at the beginning of the 20th century. Lili d’Alengy is at the height of her fame as a Parisian demimondaine. To preserve her…

A group of students from the London 1939 course visited the Pierson home ‘Intimis’ in Baarn, The Netherlands, 1939. This home provided a haven to Maria Montessori in the late 1930's as noted in the dedication of The Secret of Childhood. It is to Mr and Mrs Allard and Ada Pierson and to their lovely…

In the 1920s and 1930s Maria Montessori designed a brooch that her graduates could buy via the material manufacturers Philip & Tacey: a beautiful brooch in two versions: one in silver and one which added two hues of blue. One to symbolise the waves of the sea, in the lighter blue version we see the signature…

The Association Montessori Internationale was founded by Maria Montessori in 1929. The initiative to form AMI was taken at the first International Montessori Congress, which was held as part of the Fifth Congress of the New Education Fellowship held at Kronborg Castle, Denmark. Over eighteen hundred delegates…

Mario Montessori Junior described the power and influence of the movement over the years on the occasion of AMI's 60th birthday. It still rings all very true. From a presentation by Mario Montessori Junior to the Irish Society, in 1989, originally published in AMI Communications, 1993/2-3 ... Today, I shall…

In I947 Maria Montessori wrote an open letter to all governments. Excerpts from this letter are printed below.

The Best Weapon for Peace—Maria Montessori, Education, and Children's Rights by Erica Moretti has been shortlisted for the Laura Shannon Prize in Modern European History 2024. This Prize is recognised internationally as one of the leading book prizes in the field of European studies.  In her book, Moretti…

It's time for the new harvest of the Maria Montessori Tulip. Forgot to order last year? Be quick to secure a box from this year's bulbs. The Maria Montessori tulip was created to honour her on her 150th birthday. Growing to around 40 cm., this tulip produces a stunning double red and white flower with a sturdy stalk…

Today the Montessori community celebrates Maria Montessori's birthday! On 31 August 1915, on her 45th birthday, Maria Montessori was working in America, addressing her students in a graduation speech as they were about to receive their diplomas from the training course. She shared the following thoughts with that…

Today we remember the day that Maria Montessori died: 6 May 1952. The seeds she had sown have grown into a vibrant legacy, so touchingly worded by her son Mario only a few weeks after her death. The great consolation to me has been the (…)  unanimous feeling of responsibility all her pupils have expressed in…

Maria Montessori spoke to her students on the 6 January 1942, celebrating the anniversary of the inauguration day of the first Casa dei Bambini (House of Children). The first Montessori environment was opened on the 6 January 1907 in San Lorenzo, Rome, Italy, by Maria Montessori. Through Montessori's observations…

On this day 83 years ago (4 November 1939) Maria Montessori and Mario Montessori arrived at Adyar, India, having flown from Naples to Madras, where they had been received at the world headquarters of the Theosophical Society. Their coming to Adyar was a colourful occasion; the children of Theosophical schools lined…

In the early autumn of 1936 Maria Montessori relocated to the Netherlands at the invitation of a former graduate, Ada Pierson. This impactful decision was forced by the Civil War that raged in Spain, a country that had been her main residence for close to twenty years.  Montessori did not feel comfortable…

In 1965 Mario Montessori granted an interview to The Reader’s Digest, sharing some memories of his exceptional mother: Maria Montessori. First published in the American edition of this magazine, it soon found its way to some of the global editions of The Reader’s Digest.  Here, you can download the copies in…

Today, 21 September, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world. This day was established by the United Nations in 1981. Education for Peace is a recurring theme in Montessori’s pedagogy: Maria Montessori often spoke passionately on this subject in public lectures, congresses, and teacher…

The Italian city of Perugia has a special connection to Maria Montessori and her pedagogy. It was here that she delivered one of her last teacher training courses, cherishing many hopes for a study centre in that location. The Montessori presence has remained strong ever since, with intensified gratitude for the…

Montessori Road is the video showcase of the opening of Casa Montessori Chiaravalle, Maria Montessori's childhood home in Chiaravalle, Italy. On 11 December 2021, Carolina Montessori, Maria Montessori's great granddaughter, was the honoured guest at the opening of Casa Montessori Chiaravalle. Joined by the Curator,…

Today we celebrate another wonderful Maria Montessori birthday. The photograph shows her surrounded by what comes close to a proper “flower shop” full of bouquets – the year is 1938, she has turned 68 and the place is Laren, where she is pictured seated on the so-called Catalan chair, a delightful present from her…

Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company is delighted to have added to its online bookshop the title Educateurs sans Frontières by Renilde Montessori. Although Renilde was the originator of Educateurs sans Frontières (EsF), do not expect this title to be a practical manual of “how to do an EsF initiative”. This small…

Maria Montessori spoke out against child labour. The International Labour Organisation draws our attention to the fact that social protection is both a human right and a potent policy tool to prevent families from resorting to child labour in times of crisis. However, as of 2020 and before the COVID-19 crisis took…

6 May is a special day to embrace Maria Montessori's legacy: it is the day she died in 1952, in Noordwijk. On a warm and sunny day, in a holiday home overlooking her beloved sea she lay down in the afternoon for a nap, never to wake up. Following her wishes to be buried “wherever” she died, the funeral services…

We thought that you would like to take a look at the ‘Maria Montessori’ tulips that are blooming in AMI’s small garden. They were named after Maria Montessori to celebrate her 150th birthday and since then we have heard from many friends around the world that they have bloomed, on balconies, in window boxes, in…

Among AMI's most important tasks are first of all, to maintain the vitality of the method and to contribute on a continuing basis, now and in the future, to the growing universal awareness of the needs of the child, thereby actively participating in the development of highly conscious responsible men and women. …

On March 8,  International Women's Day, we can take inspiration from Maria Montessori, when she wrote in 1907: The time has come for action. We have talked enough. It is time to close the ranks, assess our situation, and act. These were some of the concluding words to an article championing women’s…

On 21 September, we mark forty years of the International Day of Peace. This day was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly and has been designated as a day of non-violence and cease-fire. This year’s theme is “recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”.  Cast your mind back…

On 31 August the Montessori community celebrates Maria Montessori’s birthday, the one to conclude the 150th anniversary year. By far the most emotional birthday gift ever for Maria Montessori may well have been Mario’s presence on her 1940 birthday, during her years in India. Upon Italy joining the Second World…

The Best Weapon for Peace - Maria Montessori, Education, and Children's Rights is a recently published book by Erica Moretti that examines Montessori's lifelong pacifist work.  Maria Montessori is best known for the teaching method that bears her name. She was also a lifelong pacifist, although historians tend…

What if the Brussels metro map was reinvented to pay homage to some of the great women who helped shape Europe through the centuries and the European Union over its lifetime? As an artwork, conversation piece and educational tool, the Brussels “Capital of Europe, Women of Europe” map helps bring the names of women…

The Maria Montessori building of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Radboud University (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) was officially opened on 27 May 2021. The opening ceremony was live-streamed, with special guest speakers providing their insights on the building, its facilities, design and construction. Maria…

On 6 May 1952, Maria Montessori died unexpectedly and peacefully in Noordwijk, a small town on the Dutch coast. A citizen of the world, she had asked to be buried wherever she died — which is why you will find her grave in Noordwijk. Many Montessorians when “doing the Dutch Montessori Trail” plan a visit to her grave…

Interview with Michele Dal Trozzo from Gonzagarredi Montessori and Cristina Venturi from Università di Bologna on the long history of Montessori and Gonzaga (Italian).

Grazia Honegger Fresco was introduced to Montessori education from a very young age: at age 4 she enrolled in one of the Case dei Bambini that Rome boasted.  In 1947, at the invitation of Adele Costa Gnocchi, she joined the first experimental class of the new Montessori Childhood Assistants School founded by…

Imagine: it is 1936, around 8:00 p.m. Your family lives in Catalunya and you start tuning the radio after a day’s work— hoping for some entertainment, music and “instruction”. And, indeed, shortly after 8:00 the evening broadcast opens with a talk by Maria Montessori, the famous pedagogue – who realises full well the…

In 1942, on 6 January Maria Montessori shared the story of San Lorenzo and the first Casa dei Bambini with her students: Today is the anniversary of the opening of the first Casa dei Bambini. Quite often people ask if this method is suitable for poor children, so let me share the miraculous way in which all of…

Today is Equal Pay Day — marking that on the whole women’s pay continues to lag behind men’s pay.  And here’s how that connects to Maria Montessori. In 1896, just after her graduation as a physician from the University of Rome, she was asked to form part of the Italian delegation at the International Congress…

Maria Montessori lectured in Italian during the first International Montessori Course in 1939 in Madras (Chennai), India. These 75 lectures were translated into English by her son Mario, as she spoke. The lectures are left in the same order as they were given, swinging between psychology and the use of the materials. …

We are excited to announce an exquisite boutique publication on the occasion of the launch of the Maria Montessori tulip: a small colourful book with spectacular photo's and a host of details on the tulip, its history, the way it is bred and tips on how to plant the bulb.   Three lovely sections with practical…

AMI was sad to learn of the death of Grazia Honegger Fresco (91) earlier this week. Grazia was a specialist on the early years of human development, and one of the last living students of Maria Montessori. Grazia was not only a much valued expert, she was also a prolific writer and publisher. Her magazine “quaderno…

To mark 150 years since the birth of Maria Montessori, AMI has collaborated with BrightVibes who have made this wonderful film about Maria Montessori and her inspirational life.

We would like to thank Carolina Montessori for giving her time to talk about her great grandmother.

Today, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Maria Montessori's birth, we are sharing exclusive archival footage of an interview with Maria Montessori upon her return to Italy after the years spent in India (1947). In the garden setting we also see Mario Montessori, her daughter-in-law Ada Pierson, and her…

31 August 2020, the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, issued the following statement on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maria Montessori. “Maria Montessori nasceva centocinquanta anni fa, a Chiaravalle. La sua umanità, i suoi studi, la sua coraggiosa esperienza di educatrice, hanno impresso un segno…

A special tulip in honour of Maria Montessori has been commissioned in The Netherlands. This tulip is now available for sale enabling schools and families to grow the Maria Montessori tulip as part of the global celebration for Montessori 150. With Montessori's profound understanding of the interconnectedness of…

One of the (many) brilliant aspects of Montessori education is that it includes an integrated approach to Music. We are delighted to announce the publication of the title “Montessori Approach to Music” with key contributions from Maria Montessori, Mario M. Montessori and Anna Maccheroni, who was Montessori’s music…

On March 1, 1950, Maria Montessori lectured in Amsterdam’s Bach auditorium and spoke on the “early years” at the invitation of the Dutch National Montessori Association and the Association "De Amsterdamse Montessori School". The lecture was recorded by Dutch radio and Mr Wim Eijgensteijn, a Dutch amateur filmmaker,…

On this day 93 years ago, Buckingham Palace, London, 21 June 1927, King George and Queen Mary held a reception to which Maria Montessori had been invited. A few days later she writes about the event with excitement to her friends Giuliana Sorge and Eda Margonari who were engaged in Montessori work in Argentina at the…

Last autumn, in preparation of the celebrations of Maria Montessori’s 150th birthday some of her great-grandchildren planted the special Montessori tulip named on her grave in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Now on the 6th May, the day Maria Montessori died, they are in full bloom.  Io prego i cari bambini che…

On 5 March 2020 TIME Magazine announced Maria Montessori was named one of the 100 Women of the Year, in their list of the most influential women of the past century. The cover art was inspired by the February issue of 1930 featuring Maria Montessori. In thousands of classrooms around the world, as children…

On this day 108 years ago in 1912: Maria Montessori received this letter. Many such letters and notes were written to her during those early years (1907–1914) with a request to be permitted to visit and observe the children during their activities. This particular school would have been the one on Via Giusti, Rome…

The Italians know how to design beautiful objects, and they also know how to celebrate Maria Montessori’s 150th birthday!  This 2 Euro coin was officially presented on 15 January 2020. Designed by Luciana De Simoni, it was minted in the mint of Rome. Last year our colleagues in Italy lobbied successfully for…

On this day,  6 January 1941, Maria Montessori paused to reflect a little on the creation of the first Casa dei Bambini, in 1907. She described to her students on the second Indian Montessori training course that the first children came to the Casa “undernourished, dirty and uneducated”. And these very…

Carolina Montessori getting ready to be interviewed in Maria Montessori’s study here in Amsterdam for an Italian documentary production by 3D Produzioni, which company was commissioned by Montessori’s birthplace Chiaravalle. The 60-minute documentary will be aired in 2020, in the celebratory 150th birth year. We hope…

106 years ago, Maria Montessori travelled to America for the first time for a brief lecture tour and visits with influential educational groups. On 8 December 1913 she spoke to a capacity filled Carnegie Hall on her method of education and created quite a sensation. On the cartoon we see to the far right the…

The new National Geographic Historical Special is dedicated to the great women in history. We are delighted to share with you the picture of the issue devoted to Maria Montessori made in the heart of Rome. A woman who opened a path in the male world and promoted radical changes in the teaching of all the children…

Five of Maria Montessori's great grandchildren and two of their children spent a Sunday afternoon looking after Maria Montessori's grave in Noordwijk, planting the tulips that will bloom in 2020, to mark her 150th birthday. Noordwijk is a small town close to the Dutch coast, some 40 km south west of Amsterdam,…

Great news: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company is turning its books into Amazon Kindle E-Books! The Absorbent Mind (The Montessori Series Book 1) Kindle Edition The present volume is based on lectures given by Dr. Maria Montessori at Ahmedabad, during the first training course to be held after her internment…

Association Montessori Internationale Executive Director, Lynne Lawrence, was invited to be part of the UK’s BBC Radio 4 programme: “Great Lives” about Maria Montessori. The Great Lives series invites guests to focus on someone who has inspired their lives. In this episode, Philippa Perry, a British psychotherapist…

Helen Henny, great-granddaughter of Maria Montessori, entrusted to AMI's care the oil painting of the young Maria at age 13. Helen's was an incredible gesture, and AMI is deeply honoured.

In 2018 Dr Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro, AMI Trainer and author, passed away. Dr Montanaro was a pioneer in spreading globally the insights of Maria Montessori and her close collaborator Gianna Gobbi, enlivening this knowledge with her own deep psychological study of pregnancy and the first three years after birth…

6 January 1907: The first Montessori Casa dei Bambini opens in San Lorenzo, Rome, on the feast of Epiphany when traditionally La Befana brings presents to the Children. The Casa: the best gift to children ever. Montessori wrote about this first Casa: What happened will always remain a mystery to me. I have…