A place of encounter.

A visit to Casa Don Bosco is an open dialogue with the founder and the pioneers of salesian spirituality and education. They will accompany you through the site of the original Oratory where Don Bosco’s extraordinary pastoral, educational and spiritual dream came to life.

Explore the rooms of the Oratory where dreams became reality: the kitchen, two dining halls, the workshops where young hands learned new skills, the churches, porticos and courtyards where Don Bosco and the educational community lived, prayed and played. Joyful echoes of a family in song and celebration still linger here!

The rooms, restored to their historical architectural integrity and period furnishings, will transport you to another age. The art and historical collections throughout the museum evoke the context and the components of Salesian spirituality, all of which made Valdocco the birthplace of a unique and creative pastoral project as well as a hub for dialogue and encounter during the Italian Risorgimento in Turin.

The original venues.

Open spaces.

Furnishings and architecture.

Collections.

Casa Don Bosco Museum: The Logo.

Casa Don Bosco Museum:
The Logo.

Open space.

Today as yesterday, Casa Don Bosco is a rich space that responds to diverse interests. It speaks equally to those who come to Valdocco on a spiritual pilgrimage, as well as those exploring 19th century Turin, a city reinventing itself through the blessings and burdens of the Industrial Revolution and the process of national unification.

Don Bosco’s personal rooms offer for a unique perspective on his perennial appeal as a man of history and as a spiritual giant. In the nearby galleries, meet key players who accompanied him on his ambitious adventure: Joseph Cafasso, Michael Rua, John Cagliero, John Borel, Julio Barberis, and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

In the Gallery of Paintings, admire the works of leading artists from Turin’s Albertina Academy, including Tommaso Lorenzone (1824-1902), Enrico Reffo (1831-1917), Giuseppe Rollini (1842-1904) and others who embellished Valdocco’s churches.

Continue through the Museum’s galleries to the new library which holds the most significant publications on Salesianity written or edited by Don Bosco. A visit Casa Don Bosco evokes that passion for education which immortalized Don Bosco as one of Turin’s great “social saints”, and to return with mind and heart to a vibrant season of political, artistic and spiritual transformation in the Piedmont capital.

Cultural sensitivity.

The mission of Casa Don Bosco’s embraces dialogue with contemporary culture, continuing now what Don Bosco did then. To this end, some of the Museum’s 4000 sq. metres are dedicated to temporary themed exhibits and educational initiatives of the Salesian Family throughout the world, both at home and in the missio ad gentes.

Casa Don Bosco is a venue in dialogue with the desires and sensibilities of those who seek a deeper meaning in life. It invites you to journey with spiritual mothers, fathers, sisters and brother who have preceded us on the quest for wisdom.

Casa Don Bosco Museum also offers two inspiring Marian collections. The Virgin Mary remains a powerful witness and guide since the origins of the Valdocco experience: the majestic Basilica, completed in 1868 and expanded in 1934, testifies to this. Marian spirituality pervades the Museum. It is a leitmotif that unifies diverse devotions spanning the centuries, ranging from humble expressions of faith to timeless artistic masterpieces. As such, Casa Don Bosco’s Marian Collections offer a significant contribution to the history of popular devotion and religiosity.

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