Maria Montessori evolves around a woman who was far ahead of her time: Maria Montessori. She fought for a new educational method in a period dominated by men.

Rome, in the early 20th century, Maria Montessori (Jasmine Trinca) meets the successful French courtisan Lili d’Alengy (Leïla Bekhti). Lili fled to Paris to protect her reputation because of the threat that her daughter’s learning disability would come out. This is the starting point of Maria her new grounbreaking educational teaching method. Through Maria, Lili gets to know her daughter as she really is: not a girl with a disability, but someone with a strong will and talents. Lili in turn, helps realising Maria her ambitions.