Our history

Fondazione Reggio Children was established in 2011 in Reggio Emilia, the city that, immediately after the Second World War, has given birth to the Reggio Emilia Approach®, the educational approach based on the idea of children and human beings as holders of rights and potentials.

Municipal Preschool Robinson

1963

Municipal Preschool Robinson

The first municipal preschool is founded in Reggio Emilia

Municipal Infant-toddler Centre Cervi

1971

Municipal Infant-toddler Centre Cervi

The first municipal infant-toddler centre is founded in Reggio Emilia

The history of Reggio Emilia’s municipal infant-toddler centres and preschools is profoundly intertwined with the life and thinking of Loris Malaguzzi.

Loris Malaguzzi
International interest

1991

International interest

Newsweek recognizes the preschools of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia as the “most beautiful in the world” for their most advanced pedagogy at international level.

Reggio Children Srl and International Association Friends of Reggio Children

1994

Reggio Children Srl and International Association Friends of Reggio Children

Reggio Children Srl was established as an affiliate company of the Municipality with a large shareholder group and the International Association Friends of Reggio Children was founded thanks to the participation of the volunteers supporting it.


The Reggio Emilia Approach® is an educational philosophy based on the image of a child with strong potentialities for development and a subject with rights, who learns through the hundred languages belonging to all human beings, and grows in relations with others.

Reggio Emilia Approach®
Remida – the Creative Recycling Centre

1996

Remida – the Creative Recycling Centre

Remida, the Creative Recycling Centre, was founded in Reggio Emilia and over the years has inspired a network of other Remida centres in Italy and around the world.

Preschools and Infant-toddler Centres - Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia

2003

Preschools and Infant-toddler Centres - Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia

Preschools and Infant-toddler Centres – Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia was established as an instrumentality of the Municipality.

Fondazione Reggio Children – Loris Malaguzzi Centre

2011

Fondazione Reggio Children – Loris Malaguzzi Centre

Fondazione Reggio Children, which holds 46% of Reggio Children Srl, resulted from the transformation of the International Association Friends of Reggio Children.

Loris Malaguzzi International Centre

2012

Loris Malaguzzi International Centre

The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre was completed.

Pause – Atelier dei sapori Srl

2017

Pause – Atelier dei sapori Srl

Pause – Atelier dei sapori Srl is an affiliate company of Fondazione Reggio Children, which is the sole shareholder.

Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Loris Malaguzzi

2020

Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Loris Malaguzzi

Adaptation of the Bylaws so that Fondazione can be considered an E.T.S (Third Sectory Body); renewal of its visual identity.

Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Loris Malaguzzi turns ten

2021

Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Loris Malaguzzi turns ten

In 2021 Fondazione Reggio Children turns ten and celebrates with a collective installation in Reggio Emilia

“We could say that the schools of Reggio Emilia are ‘open communities’ that focus primarily on People in their most advanced and complete elaboration. [...] The Reggio Emilia Approach® is not only about infant-toddler centres and preschools. The Reggio Emilia Approach® is also the way how the city has been able to consider education first and foremost, in general and at all levels.”

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