She was a daughter of a celebrated German historian who had been university teacher in Italy and of an American woman. She studied in Roma with G. Castelnuovo who was her supervisor. She graduated in 1908 and after she studied in Pavia with L. Berzolari and in Palermo with M. De Franchis. She taught geometry at the university of Ferrara since 1927 and was among the early women to get a chair in mathematics in Italian Universities.

Besides algebraic geometry, her main research interests were applied mathemtics, and above all, photogrammetry. She taught in Ferrara starting with 1927.

Selected papers were published in 1967 by CEDAM, Padova.

Main commemorations and studies: G. Gambini-L. Pepe (editors), La raccolta Montesano di opuscoli nella biblioteca dell'Istituto matematico dell'Università di Ferrara , Ferrara, 1983, 3-6.