What is Casa dei Bambini?
Casa dei Bambini, Italian for 'Children's House', was the first Montessori school, opened by Maria Montessori on 6 January 1907 in the San Lorenzo district of Rome for children of working families in a housing block. The name is still used for Montessori 3–6 classrooms around the world.
What this means in practice
Casa dei Bambini was where Montessori first observed typically developing children working with her materials, and where she saw the concentration and self-discipline that shaped the whole method.
What she observed there
- Children preferred real work to toys
- They repeated activities many times
- They loved order
- They became calmer and more independent
Why the name lives on
Many schools call their 3–6 room the Casa or Children's House to signal that it is the child's own space.
Practical next steps
- Read about the first Casa.
- Note what surprised Montessori.
- Apply one observation to your classroom.
- Use the term correctly.
What to keep in mind
Not every school using 'Casa' follows the method fully.
Common follow-up questions
When did Casa dei Bambini open?
6 January 1907.
Where?
San Lorenzo, Rome.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Maria Montessori
- Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method (1912), Project Gutenberg
Examples are educational illustrations with made-up names. How these answers are prepared.