1900, Paris. Lili d'Alengy is an admired courtesan, the darling of the Parisian elite. Every man craves her attention. But she has a secret that could immediately destroy her position. She has a daughter, Tina, who suffers from a disability. Fearful of losing her long-established reputation, she keeps Tina in the closet. But she is at an age when Lili is unable to care for her, perhaps even unwilling, and so she decides to go to Rome. Supposedly, there is a doctor there who could help Tina. On arrival, she is surprised to find that the doctor is not a man, as is common at the time, but a woman. Her name is Maria Montessori and she is developing a revolutionary method of teaching for children with severe learning disabilities. As part of the development of this method, she founds the "Casa dei Bambini", the first school for children who need special treatment. With patience and a personal approach to each individual, with specific aids and learning through play, it achieves amazing results. But like Lili, Maria is hiding a secret...


The Montessori method is a way of teaching in which the personality of the child is especially respected and is not based on memorization of the pupils. Maria Montessori, a biographical drama, tells the story of the founder of the method who, despite all the difficulties of her time, helped the very children that society had abandoned.