Il Secolo dei fanciulli di Ellen Key: per una nuova etica e una nuova educazione

The century of the child written by Ellen Key is a book that ushered the 1900s: a book that marked an era especially because it gave voice to the need of the time to confer to childhood a leading role in the construction of the future humanity. As it is highlighted in this paper, Ellen Key argued for a project with a strong utopian value that involved a relevant change of family, school and society, too, combining ethics, aesthetics and pedagogy. Her ideas inspired some representatives of activism including Maria Montessori for the creation of spaces and environments children-oriented.