The Casa Don Bosco Museum has been inaugurated in the northern Italian city of Turin, in the Valdocco neighborhood where the well-known patron saint of young people carried out an important part of his mission.
STEFANIA DE VITA
Director, Casa Don Bosco Museum
“Before anything else, it's a house. It's a home where we are all welcomed, first by Don Bosco, then immediately after, by Mother Margarita. She greets us in the courtyard, takes us by the hand and accompanies us as we visit the house, the museum. She shows us some of the history, the life, not only of Valdocco, but also of that neighborhood's son, St. John Bosco.”
The goal of the project was not to be merely a collection of objects devoid of life, but rather a relevant portrait of Don Bosco, the 19th-century saint whose life of holiness continues to make an impact today.
FR. ÁNGEL FERNÁNDEZ ARTIME
Rector Major of the Salesians
“I must say that Don Bosco opens the doors of families and the hearts of young people from all cultures of the world. This seems to us a great heritage that we mustn't limit to this place.”
The museum reconstructs Don Bosco's home, to give visitors a glimpse into his reality. The museum also contains a number of the saint's original letters and manuscripts, as well as works of art and Marian icons. It took the collaboration of the Salesian family and others to see the project through, a modern testament to the importance of community, a central aspect of Don Bosco's mission and the Salesians today.
FR. CHRISTIAN BESSO
Museum Casa Don Bosco
“At our roots we find not only a great saint, St. John Bosco, but a community who, with him, set all this up. This community wasn't all men, though priests made up the majority. There was Don Bosco's mother, Don Rua's mother, even some non-Christians who wanted to contribute to the vast field of education.”
Casa Pinardi, where it all began, now retraces Don Bosco's steps in the Valdocco neighborhood, where year after year, he welcomed hundreds of young people. Today it retains its hospitable spirit, welcoming pilgrims and tourists, and revealing the continuity of a tradition that has persisted for over 150 years.
CT
