The Princess of Wales received a warm welcome in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia. Crowds gathered in Piazza Prampolini outside the city’s cathedral on Wednesday, many waving Union flags, as the Princess arrived for a two-day visit focused on early years education and child development.
The Princess chose Reggio Emilia because of the internationally recognised “Reggio Emilia Approach” to early childhood education, developed in the city after the Second World War. Kensington Palace said the visit would allow her to see “how the Reggio Emilia Approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together”.
During meetings at Reggio Emilia’s City Hall, the Princess met three women regarded as pioneers of the educational philosophy — Ione Bartoli, Carla Moroni and Eletta Bertani.
“Children are important not only for the future, but also and above all in the present,” Bartoli told the Princess, describing children as “bearers of rights”.
Bartoli recalled how local residents, after the liberation of the area during the war, sold parts of an abandoned German tank to help fund the construction of a kindergarten. “Everything was missing,” Bartoli said. “Even a piece of nail was precious.”
“That kindergarten was built by the citizens. Those who were skilled in trades built it physically. To keep it afloat, peasant women were asked to bring eggs and flour so they could prepare a hot meal for the children.”
The school later became linked to educator Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach.
“Our concept is that when a child is born, a citizen is born,” Bartoli added. “A person who has the right to become, who must be respected.”
The Princess reportedly appeared moved by the account of local people sacrificing what little they had to establish a school.
Meeting representatives of Reggio Children
Later, at the Loris Malaguzzi International Center, the Princess met representatives of Reggio Children, the organisation established in 1994 to promote the educational philosophy internationally.
“I’m very excited,” the Princess said on arrival.
According to Reggio Children, she immediately began asking questions about how international study groups function and how parents are involved in school life. “She said she was happy to be here and to learn about the Reggio Children world,” the organisation said.
The Princess also discussed the importance of translating books into different languages and described parents as “valuable allies in pedagogy”.
“I wanted to come to Reggio Emilia because of this great interest of mine,” she told Bartoli. “I’m fascinated by your philosophy, by how children are part and center of the community.”
The Princess, who has three children with the Prince of Wales, established the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood five years ago.
Maddalena Tedeschi, president of Reggio Children, said the Princess’s work “deeply resonates with what this city has practiced for decades in its schools”.
“Children are subjects of rights, bearers of thought and multiple languages,” Tedeschi said.
Federico Ruozzi, president of the city’s Schools and Nursery Schools Institution, said the Princess’s interest showed “how much progress has been made since the post-war period”.
During the visit, the Princess signed the municipal roll of honour and later returned to Piazza Prampolini, where she greeted members of the public, accepted flowers and spoke briefly in Italian, repeatedly saying “buongiorno”. Some supporters shouted “stay strong” as she walked through the crowd.
The Princess of Wales also received gifts from the municipality, including a book on the history of Reggio Emilia, a ceramic plate decorated in the Ars Canusina style and a collection of symbolic local objects representing the city’s heritage.
