Educating the abnormal pupils in Milan at the beginning of the Twentieth Century: the San Vincenzo Institute experience

Abstract

The San Vincenzo Institute for abnormal pupils was set up in Milan at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, thanks to the catholic priest Luigi Casanova. The Institute represented a relevant experience of the catholic world and it was characterized by the cooperation between assistance and education, science and religion. It was one of the first Italian experiences of this kind and contributes to define the history of Italian special education and its revolution during the last Century. The paper aims to reconstruct the activities and the educational profile of this institution.