Elisa Montessori

[4] She studied classical subjects and graduated with a humanities degree in 1953 from La Sapienza University in Rome.

[4] After graduation, she was trained at Mirko Basaldella's studio where she met with the Gruppo Origine: Ettore Colla, Alberto Burri, and Giuseppe Capogrossi.

In 1955 Montessori won a student grant to go to Paris, but decided to stay in Rome after her meeting with scientist Mario Tchou, who became her husband the same year.

Following the sudden death of Tchou in a car accident while on his way to Olivetti's headquarters in Ivrea in 1961, Montessori relocated to Rome.

[15][16] One important aspect of her production starting from the 1980s was the role of the illustration and the relationship between image and text in both poetry and literature.