Virginia Staurenghi Consiglio (1848-1921): una maestra scrittrice per la scuola e per i fanciulli

Virginia Staurenghi Consiglio (1848-1921) was born in Milan but spent most of her life in the Southern region of Puglia. She was an elementary school teacher, a writer and a lecturer. She wrote at least 32 books: school books for elementary school, etiquette and manners text-books, pedagogical short novels and fairy tales, published on relevant publishing houses, such as Paravia, Vallardi, Risveglio educativo, Dante Alighieri. She wrote for the educational review «Corriere delle maestre», too and backed the “objective” method, but recommending not to apply it rigidly. Indeed, she stressed the importance of religious education and inner moral law. She was a an example of well cultivated teacher and successful writer. The model of woman she handed down, linking patriotic ideals and Christian values, was the traditional one of wife and mother.