Maria Montessori (August 31^st, 1870 - May 6^th, 1952) managed to fight her way to become the first woman to study medicine in Italy. Soon after successfully completing her degree in 1896, she turned her interests to educational sciences. With the help of the doctors Itard and Séguin she developed materials for mentally disabled children. The techniques proved to be so successful that she became famous beyond the borders of Italy. Due to her profound success, she decided to extend her methods to healthy children. In 1907 she founded her first school (Casa dei Bambini) in San Lorenzo, a poor district in Rome, later, schools in Milan and Naples followed. The general interest in her methods continued to grow worldwide. She dedicated her whole life to developing and perfecting the materials, writing books and training teachers. Observation of children, being the basis of her methods and theories, remained her focus. Even her exile during the Second World War did not deter her from driving her work forward.

    After her death, her illegitimate son, Mario Montessori, took over the worldwide Montessori Movement. Today her granddaughter, Renilde Montessori, is the head of the movement.