CeRiMM - Maria Montessori Research Center

The departmental research center "Maria Montessori" (CeRiMM) was established with the aim of valuing and deepening Maria Montessori’s pedagogical approach through study, research, training, and innovation activities on topics related to educational innovation and inclusion. The Center aims to develop ideas and projects connected to Montessori pedagogy.

The pedagogical thought of Maria Montessori has its roots in a geographically well-defined territory, Umbria, which was frequently visited by the Doctor herself, who here not only encountered ideas from important peace thinkers such as Saint Francis in Assisi and Aldo Capitini in Perugia, but also wrote, in 1909, her most famous work “The Method of Scientific Pedagogy” in Città di Castello.

In 1950, she founded the Pedagogical Study Center (CSP) at the University for Foreigners of Perugia.

This magnificent university, for those who love Italians, with that deep kindness of the Italian spirit, has already called foreigners from everywhere to experience the beauties of art, which represents the powerful spirit that also created European and Italian civilization, in order to spread this Italian spirit throughout the world. It is a truth that leads toward peace, all together for me it represents something great and indescribable. I would like to properly thank all those who honored me by calling me, who gave me the privilege of being able to give this form that remains with me, directly to my country and directly to these Italian children from whom I have gathered everything I have. I would have nothing of what I have if I had not received it as a gift from those Italian children, whom I have spoken of everywhere in all parts of the world: from that group of children who first revealed to me, in Rome, that in mankind there is something unknown, but which is real and great, and which we must all remember. It is a plain fact, everyone understands, that the rapid progress of the last fifty years, in this age of science and machinery, has profoundly transformed relationships between people: this sudden change has created a great imbalance between the new environment and humanity, left here, as everywhere, unprepared to adapt to these new conditions. This is known to all. However, one fact should be revealed: education, which has the mission to help humanity rise, has preserved until today, here and elsewhere, outdated forms and systems, which are not adequate to improve people and make them aware of the great changes and the crises that our civilization is experiencing, crises about which everyone should be concerned. This gap between external progress and human progress is not minor, and in fact it is considered one of the causes of social conflict in our times: therefore, education is not only important within the realm of schooling, but the salvation of the world depends on it. UNESCO, which gathers all the educators of the world, was established with this in mind, so we must consider this institution not only as a tool for progress and cultural enrichment: UNESCO, through its purpose, contributes to world peace and has significance entirely on par, and just as powerful, as politics, which strives to prevent conflicts between nations. So now, everything done to improve human preparation, to achieve unity among all nations, has importance far beyond mere educational and cultural interest, and therefore, every effort in this direction becomes a social service. Drawing attention to the current state of schools, as I would like to do in this address, means looking not only at educational issues, but also into the most urgent social problems of our days, problems that call on everyone to cooperate. Schools have remained practically unchanged, as if they were something entirely unrelated to the fate of society [...].

A center like the one we want to create can be attended by people who believe in ideals in the world and in children: who want to prepare themselves for a mission, who want to become advocates for these ideals. In such people there can be only a missionary spirit; that is what we hope to inspire here, in the light of the grand traditions and art of the universities of the past. [...]

All who come to this Center, which aims to carry out research in the psychological and educational fields, through direct observation and the experiences we have had, must be enlightened by this light of truth and love for humankind, so that what we teach, the fruit of our long work, is not lost and the treasure of knowledge we have gathered from the children themselves is not dispersed. This rich mass of experiences and teachings must be preserved as a precious heritage so that it may live on in the memory and heart of all Italians and foreigners. This is the purpose of the program we intend to carry out in this series of lessons organized by the Center for Pedagogical Studies, which are open to anyone interested in these issues, so that they may find knowledge and truth from a great teacher: the soul of the child.

Excerpt from the inaugural address of the Center for Pedagogical Studies, given by Maria Montessori at the University for Foreigners of Perugia on July 20, 1950.