Maria Montessori’s training in Rome: anthropological studies and aspirations for social reform

Abstract

Maria Montessori graduated in medicine from the University of Rome and subsequently took part in the research activities of Roman medical anthropology scholars, some of whom were leading exponents in Italian science and culture. Giuseppe Sergi was a major figure in the national public debate regarding some of the main concerns in Italian society, focusing on the causes and consequences of poverty and illiteracy, and the need for a more effective education system. The ideas of Sergi and other scholars (C. Bonfigli, S. De Sanctis, N. D'Alfonso) regarding these problems influenced Maria Montessori. Indeed, she was inspired and encouraged by Sergi himself to direct her activities and research to the field of childcare and education. Medical anthropology was therefore an essential element in the formation of the young Montessori, and the genesis of her pedagogy and method. Teaching at the Institute of Education for Women in Rome represented an opportunity to develop a relevant “pedagogical anthropology” for her scientific evolution, even though Maria Montessori herself would later leave it behind.