Don Bosco Lived Here
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DON BOSCO LIVED HERE Tours and visits based on history, geography and spirituality Aldo Giraudo Giuseppe Biancardi Table of Contents Chapter: Presentation Part I Chapter 2: Some facts and their significance Section 2.1: Childhood and early teenage years Section 2.2: Emerging educational and spiritual values Chapter 3: Historical, geographical and biographical notes Section 3.1: The historical context Section 3.2: Chronological table Section 3.3: Suggestions for visits and tours Chapter 4: Tours to the various places Section 4.1: Colle Don Bosco and the Becchi Subsection 4.1.1: Biglione Farmhouse (where Don Bosco was actually born) Subsection 4.1.2: The Casetta or Cottage Subsection 4.1.3: His brother Joseph’s house Subsection 4.1.4: Museum of 19th Century Farming Life Subsection 4.1.5: Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians Subsection 4.1.6: Monument to John the Juggler Subsection 4.1.7: The Dream Post or Pillar Subsection 4.1.8: The old Becchi water fountain Subsection 4.1.9: Monument to Mama Margaret Subsection 4.1.10: Church (Basilica) in honour of Don Bosco Subsection 4.1.11: Bernardi Semeria Salesian Institute Subsection 4.1.12: The ethnological and missionary museum Section 4.2: Morialdo Subsection 4.2.1: St Dominic Savio’s House Subsection 4.2.2: St Peter’s church and the little presbytery Subsection 4.2.3: The Sussambrino hillside Section 4.3: Capriglio Subsection 4.3.1: House where Mama Margaret was born Subsection 4.3.2: Parish church and Fr Joseph Lacqua’s presbytery Section 4.4: Castelnuovo Don Bosco Subsection 4.4.1: St Andrew’s parish church Subsection 4.4.2: The presbytery Subsection 4.4.3: The public school Subsection 4.4.4: St Bartholomew’s chapel Subsection 4.4.5: The church of “Our lady of the Castle” Section 4.5: Mondonio Subsection 4.5.1: Dominic Savio’s house Subsection 4.5.2: Parish church and school Subsection 4.5.3: Cemetery chapel Section 4.6: Buttiglieri d’Asti Subsection 4.6.1: Parish church Subsection 4.6.2: Buttigliera’s connection with Don Bosco and the Salesian Family Subsection 4.6.3: The Càmpora farm Subsection 4.6.4: Crivelle Section 4.7: Moncucco and the Moglia Farm Subsection 4.7.1: The Moglia homestead Subsection 4.7.2: The church at Moncucco Section 4.8: San Giovanni di Riva Subsection 4.8.1: Dominic Savio’s birthplace Subsection 4.8.2: The youth centre Part II: JOHN BOSCO AT CHIERI Chapter 5: FACTS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE Section 5.1: The ten years at Chieri in Don Bosco’s life Chapter 6: HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES Section 6.1: John Bosco comes to Chieri Section 6.2: Chronological table Section 6.3: Suggestions for visits and tours Chapter 7: TOURS AND VISITS Section 7.1: San Luigi Salesian Institute and St Margaret’s Church Subsection 7.1.1: School Subsection 7.1.2: St Margaret’s church Subsection 7.1.3: Salesian Oratory Section 7.2: Birthplace of Mother Madeleine Morano Section 7.3: Church and Monastery of St Dominic Section 7.4: Via della Pace Subsection 7.4.1: Elijah’s bookshop Subsection 7.4.2: Jonah’s house Subsection 7.4.3: Franciscan monastery and the church of Peace Section 7.5: Seminary and St Philip Neri Church Subsection 7.5.1: The seminary Subsection 7.5.2: S. Filippo (St Philip’s) church Section 7.6: Piazza Mazzini and adjacent buildings Subsection 7.6.1: S. Guglielmo (St William’s) church Subsection 7.6.2: Fr Maloria’s house Subsection 7.6.3: Casa Marchisio where Lucia Matta lived Subsection 7.6.4: The former City Hall Subsection 7.6.5: Carpenter Barzochino’s shop Section 7.7: Public schools, Chieri Section 7.8: Piazza Cavour and surrounds Subsection 7.8.1: Church of sant’Antonio abate (St Anthony Abbot) Subsection 7.8.2: Muletto Inn Subsection 7.8.3: Caffè Pianta Subsection 7.8.4: Tommaso Cumino’s house Subsection 7.8.5: Michele Cavallo the baker’s stable Section 7.9: The Cathedral (Duomo) Section 7.10: Casa Bertinetti, Santa Teresa Institute Section 7.11: The former Viale Porta Torino Part III: DON BOSCO IN TURIN Chapter 8: FACTS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE Section 8.1: Further studies and pastoral option Section 8.2: Emerging pedagogical and spiritual values Chapter 9: HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES Section 9.1: Social and pastoral problems in Turin in the 1840s Section 9.2: Chronological table Section 9.3: Suggestions for visits and tours Chapter 10: TOURS AND VISITS Section 10.1: Church of the Visitation Subsection 10.1.1: 3.1.1. Priests of the Mission house Subsection 10.1.2: Church of the Visitation Section 10.2: Church of the Arcivescovado Section 10.3: St Francis of Assisi Subsection 10.3.1: The church and St Francis’ monastery Subsection 10.3.2: The Convitto Ecclesiastico or Pastoral Institute Section 10.4: Don Bosco and the works run by Marchioness Barolo Subsection 10.4.1: Palazzo Barolo Subsection 10.4.2: Don Bosco’s Oratory at the Refuge Subsection 10.4.3: Don Bosco’s Oratory at St Philomena’s Section 10.5: The Wandering Oratory Subsection 10.5.1: The Oratory at St Peter in Chains Subsection 10.5.2: St Martin’s chapel at the Molassi Subsection 10.5.3: Casa Moretta Subsection 10.5.4: Filippi Field Section 10.6: The Oratory at casa Pinardi Subsection 10.6.1: Pinardi chapel Subsection 10.6.2: Don Bosco at the Pinardi house Subsection 10.6.3: The area around Pinardi House Section 10.7: Don Bosco’s other Oratories Subsection 10.7.1: St Aloysius Oratory Subsection 10.7.2: The Guardian Angel Oratory Section 10.8: Churches used during the wandering Oratory stage Subsection 10.8.1: The Consolata Subsection 10.8.2: The Superga Basilica Subsection 10.8.3: Monte dei Cappuccini Subsection 10.8.4: Madonna del Pilone Subsection 10.8.5: Madonna di Campagna Part IV: DON BOSCO DEVELOPS THE ORATORY Chapter 11: FACTS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE Section 11.1: Mature choices Section 11.2: Emerging pedagogical and spiritual values Chapter 12: HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES Section 12.1: Social and pastoral activity in the second half of the 19th century Section 12.2: Chronological table 1 Section 12.3: Chronological table 2 Section 12.4: Suggestions for visits and tours Chapter 13: TOURS AND VISITS Section 13.1: The historical nucleus Subsection 13.1.1: Church of St Francis de Sales (1851–1852) Subsection 13.1.2: The 1853 building (Don Bosco’s house) Subsection 13.1.3: The 1856 building (former Pinardi house) Subsection 13.1.4: Further extensions to the “Camerette” (1861, 1862, 1876) Subsection 13.1.5: The Camerette today Section 13.2: The Basilica of Mary help of Christians Subsection 13.2.1: Historical origins of the title “Help of Christians” Subsection 13.2.2: Don Bosco’s inspiring motives Subsection 13.2.3: The project and works Subsection 13.2.4: What did Don Bosco’s church look like? Subsection 13.2.5: Restoration and extension Subsection 13.2.6: Visiting the Basilica Subsection 13.2.7: 3.2.7. Beneath the Basilica Section 13.3: Other buildings Don Bosco built Subsection 13.3.1: The Reception (1874 - 1875) Subsection 13.3.2: Printing works (1881-1883) Section 13.4: Former building that have been rebuilt Subsection 13.4.1: Filippi house (1861, rebuilt in 1952) Subsection 13.4.2: Audisio house (1864, rebuilt in 1954) Section 13.5: Current work at Valdocco Subsection 13.5.1: Vocational Training Centre (VTC) Subsection 13.5.2: The St Dominic Savio Middle School Subsection 13.5.3: The Daily and Festive Oratory Subsection 13.5.4: Salesian Marian Centre Subsection 13.5.5: The Salesian Circumscription of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta Section 13.6: Piazza Maria Ausiliatrice Section 13.7: Other works Don Bosco began in Turin Subsection 13.7.1: The Church and Institute of St John the Evangelist Subsection 13.7.2: Valsalice and Don Bosco’s tomb Chapter 14: Postscript - 2015 Presentation The first edition of this guidebook was printed in 1988 within the context of the many activities the Salesian Family had put in place to celebrate the Centenary of Don Bosco’s death. Fifteen years later it was offered in updated form, prior to celebrations for the Golden Jubilee of Dominic Savio’s canonisation. Dominic represents the most successful result of Don Bosco’s educational activity for young people. Though updated, corrected and added to in certain areas, the text has not substantially altered in character and purpose. It is still a guidebook to places where Don Bosco’s wonderful human and Christian adventure unfolded. More than being just a tourist’s or visitor’s handbook, it is an aid to understanding Don Bosco’s historical and geographical context and attempts to encompass the spiritual and pedagogical message that emerged from his experience and which is of ongoing universal worth. This is why, along with historical notes and biographies related to the various places, one also finds passages illustrating some of the more significant events that took place in these settings. Don Bosco’s choices, the values which inspired him, the spiritual and educational leads he offers us as well as what he achieved thus take on a particularly evocative tone. As far as possible we let Don Bosco speak in first person by drawing from his autobiographical Memoirs of the Oratory (MO) and other writings of his; you will also find frequent use of the Biographical Memoirs put together by G.