Visiting the first Montessori School in San Lorenzo

Had b’fast in my room as usual. Was ready at 8:45, but the others were not and it was after nine before we started to visit the Montessori School in a poor part of the city.*



Got there a little before ten and I spent the rest of the morning there. There were over 30 children all dressed alike in pink gingham and a head teacher with assistant, both Italian. Children came up and shook hands, wrote on slate in very legible writing, drew flowers, vases, balloons, backs, and worked with different parts of the apparatus. They talked freely, but were nevertheless under much discipline and the teachers scolded them in loud voices.



Miss Patterson and Miss. Hayward left at 11. I stayed till 12:20. After they left, other children came in and teachers till there were 126 children and 10 teachers. The chairs and tables were taken out and then they tried to teach them a motion play. The teachers were so slow and so cross and spoke so very loudly while the children were models of patience, endurance. Altogether I was much disappointed. The teacher told Miss Patterson that it was the first school of its kind in point of time.

Couldn’t get a tram so walked to the T. station where I got no. 14. Lay down after lunch - also finished a letter to Percy - then went with Miss Wood to an exhibition of the best of American artists in Rome.** It was very interesting and the school and grounds are charming. Met Dr. Edmiston and his wife in the car going out. Miss Wood was invited by Mr. Thomas, a young artist from Buffalo, N.Y.

A letter from Helen which I answered at once. She says Florence seems to have very little reserve strength.

*The school, La Casa dei Bambini, was located in the San Lorenzo district. It first opened in 1907.
**”International Exhibition of Futurism” in the Galleria Futurista took place in Rome in April and May, 1914 and included American artists, but this is not necessarily what she saw.
**Or it could be the American Academy in Rome, which has a School of Fine Arts and frequent exhibits

Walking in Rome on May Day: Doria Palace, Pincio and Borghese gardens

Today was cloudy and it was celebrated by no tram cars running and no taxis or carriages so you had to walk everywhere.

I went with Mrs. Haywood from Folkestone, Eng., a sweet faced woman to the Doria Palace to see the paintings there. We stopped at a church on the way and at the main post office (in an old monastery) on the way back. We must have walked three miles gone from 10-1.

Lay down after lunch and slept 1 1/4 hours, then got ready and went out with Mrs. Hayward, her friend Miss Patterson to walk in the Pincio and Borghese gardens* which were beautiful indeed. Saw magnolia, camphor, ilex, polonia, laburnum and lilac trees, locusts and acacias. It was very beautiful. Gone from 4 to 6:40. Very tired when I got back. Rested 15 minutes.



Went into the drawing room till 9:40. Finished my letter to Hazel and Percy.

*Villa Borghese is a large landscape garden in the naturalistic English manner in Rome, containing a number of buildings, museums and attractions. It is the second largest public park in Rome (80 hectares or 148 acres) after that of the Villa Doria Pamphili. The gardens were developed for the Villa Borghese Pinciana ("Borghese villa on the Pincian Hill").

The Pincio (the Pincian Hill of ancient Rome), in the south part of the park, offers one of the greatest views over Rome.

Rome: Montessori school and St. John Lateran Basilica

Felt quite tired so was late getting up and in dressing.

Decided to try to go to the Montessori Schools* so found out the direction to Via Poli where you have to go to get the ticket for admission. Got there but found the secretary was only in from 4-6. The young English girl to whom I gave the address got her card of entrance and went off without saying a word to me.

Then I looked at the shop windows, went to Pension Cargill and asked about rates for next winter, went to Cook’s and got a letter from Margaret and rode home in the no. 14 train. After lunch I asked Miss Wood what to do and she advised going to St. John L.*



I rested till 3 and started about 3:30, reached the church at end of train 16. Went all around the church and into the vault and to see the beautiful cloisters.



Then took the no. 8 car to Piazza Sylvestro [Piazza San Silvestro, A] and walked to Via Poli [B]. Saw the secretary, a pleasant man and am to get a permit for myself and two friends to visit “a poor school”, walked home up Via Corso Victor Emanuel [Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, C]. It was crowded so you had to walk in the street part of the time. Took me ¾ an hour to walk home.


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It rained this afternoon not very hard. Dressed for dinner and went into sitting room and read The Daily Graphic.

*Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), the first female physician in Italy who was an Italian educator known for developing the Montessori method to teach young children. She introduced the method in Rome in 1907
**Probably St. John Lateran

Visiting the Roman Forum

Felt pretty tired after my trip of yesterday so had b’fast in bed and did not go down till 10. Then washed out my night dress and hung it out on the balcony to dry.

Had a talk with Miss Wood about rooms. It will cost from $55 to $60 a month here - two in a room - if we come here next winter - fully $60 with fire for you pay for your own fuel.

After lunch I started for the Forum to attend a lecture by Dr. Raymond. I was late in getting there so missed the lecture but wandered around the ruins for two hours and a half and with the aid of Baedeker understood the place fully well. A keeper showed me the new excavations for which I gave him four cents.



Was beguiled into buying two sets of Roman postcards for 85 cents.

Spent part of the evening in the living room talking to Miss Patterson.

Finished a silly old novel called Marriage by Miss Ferrier*, a distinct imitation of Evalina.

*Susan Edmonstone Ferrier, “Marriage,” 1818.

Sightseeing in Rome with AmEx

Got down to the American Exp. office before 9 a.m. Dr. Edmiston came soon after and the two others of the party - father and son named Mantz from the North Shore Drive, Chicago.

We drove first to St. Peters which I had studied by myself Sunday. We saw Peter’s grave and the gilt box above where the bishop’s robe is kept. Then to the Vatican where we saw what was best in the sculpture and in the Egyptian rooms and in the painting.


We went into the Borgia departments. The old man got pretty tired. I left them in the Piazza de Pietro and came back in No. 16 tram.

After lunch wrote to Florence and got ready and went to the Am. Ex. Office - where the carriage and the people soon appeared. We rode to the Coliseum but did not go in, passed the Baths of Caracalla, then along the Appian Way which is dusty and interesting.

We went down into the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, were there perhaps half an hour, very interesting to see the tiers of graves and the little chapels in the shape of a cross.


We carried candles in our hands and were a party of ten I guess. The old man did not go nor Dr. Edmiston. Coming back we stopped at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls which is a new and interesting church* with a beautiful old cloister.

Then we rode right back to the Am. Ex. Office. We did not go to the Doria picture gallery, nor to see the graves Keats and Shelley,** nor to the church of St. Sebastian, I suppose on account of the old man.

Met Mrs. Bell in the office and said goodbye to her again. I like my next neighbor at the table, Mrs. Haywood. The rest of the people are English and stiff. Had a letter from Florence*** which I answered at once about the apt. in Asolo. She says Helen has written to me twice in Naples. I did not receive either letter.

*Faithful reconstruction of 4th century basilica destroyed by fire in 1823.
**In Protestant cemetery, Cimitero Acattolico
***Florence Humphrey, her sister

Rome and Via Nomentana

Slept pretty well. Woke up early - dressed.

Had b’fast in my room and started off at 8:35 for the Am. Express Co. to go on the excursion if one was going. Got there before it opened.

Saw a Mrs. Carpenter who railed at the U.S. postal service. Said “It was rotten.”

Saw Mr. Edmiston, said no one had booked so far, but took my address and will send me word in case a party is formed. He gave me several addresses and showed me how to take no. 9 train to Via Nomentana.



Went to end of line. Sat down on the grass looking towards the mts. and wrote a postal to Margaret*. Came back and then went to Cook’s for letter from home - came back on No. 14.

Lay down before lunch. Finished The Princess Locked Book** by Mrs. Williamson. Then slept for two hours. Mended my clothes to change tomorrow. Ate a very hearty lunch. Not so much for dinner. At dinner had a pleasant chat with Mrs. Hayward who sat next to me. She invited me to go to the Doria gallery with her tomorrow and I shall be glad to if I don’t go with this Prof. Edmiston.

*Her daughter.
** “Princess Mary's Locked Book” by Mrs. C. N. Williamson published in 1912.

Rome and St. Peter's Basilica

Got up at 7:15. Had a bath in the saucer pan and breakfast alone in the dining room with my faithful Baedeker beside me. Coffee - hot milk - rolls and fresh butter - no more - no less.

Then went by myself to St. Peter’s, carried a camp-chair, went first of all to a German service and then to the regular High Mass. It was a beautiful service. Not knowing where it was to be held, I was late so stood all the way through.

Then went all around the church with the Baedeker and looked at everything, but it is impossible to take it all in at once or I should think at many visits. It is magnificent beyond words with its wealth of detail.




Left just before noon. Rode back for I was tired. Lay down till lunch. Miss Wood told me how to go to see Mrs. Bell.

Got there all right. Had a great time in getting word to Mrs. Bell after I got to the pension. It took me 25 minutes before I made them understand whom I wanted. There was an Italian woman who was very rude - told me to go to the station and take a no. 12 train. Then they said Mrs. Bell was out, was asleep, and finally she came down and I had a pleasant visit with her - told her what hard work I had had reaching her.

Her friend Mrs. Abbott came down and an Oakland woman, a Mrs. Watson came in and we had tea. Left just before six - cars were crowded - stood all the way home. Went into the drawing room a while. A Miss Patterson spoke to me-said she knew Florence well. Been to Capri with her.