The tour of Casa Don Bosco Museum begins here, in this space which dates back to 1853 and was used by Don Bosco as a bookbinding shop. Today, it offers precious evidence of Valdocco’s ongoing transformation.

The originial nucleus of the museum was the complex of four rooms where Don Bosco lived from 1853 to 1888. This part of the building has been conserved in its original state ever since Don Bosco’s death.
While the room where St. John Bosco died has remained unchanged over the years, other rooms where he lived were occupied by his first two successors: blessed Michael Rua (1888-1910), and Fr. Paul Albera (1910-1914).
In 1914, Fr. Albera chose to vacate Don Bosco’s rooms and move into the newly completed quarters (1912-1914) built for the Salesian General Council. Since then, Don Bosco’s rooms have been affectionately referred to as the Camerette; no longer lived in, they were preserved as a shrine for spiritual visitation.

In 1927 the Pinardi Chapel was renovated and restored as a place of prayer, after having served as a dining hall for the Salesian community from 1856 to 1927. When Don Bosco was beatified in 1929, Blessed Philip Rinaldi transformed the Saint’s rooms into a devotional exhibit.
Over the years, emerging trends in museography have led to numerous renovations of the exhibit spaces. The first renovations were made in two distinct phases: from 1973-1976, and then in 1977. In 1987, the museum was modernized once again, in preparation for the centenary of St. John Bosco’s death in 1988.
For the Great Jubilee of 2000, the Camerette underwent yet another major renovation.
Finally, in 2019, the Salesian Congregation undertook a radical expansion of the museum to create today’s Casa Don Bosco.

The “Goodnight” Portico remains one of the most evocative spaces of Casa Don Bosco.
Its construction began in 1853 and was completed between 1856-60.
The stone floor likely dates to this period. The biblical passages on the walls quote the ten commandments and encourage frequent sacramental confession. They recall the original panels painted by Pietro Enria at Don Bosco’s request. The plaques on the columns date from the early 20thC, while those on the arches are from 1965.

The original portico, dating to 1848, is a characteristic element of Piedmontese architecture. It was the place where Don Bosco gathered his boys for the traditional “Goodnight talk“, a practice he learned from his mother, Margaret.

The portico was the obvious entrance to the Oratory’s first church, the Pinardi Chapel. The bell tower and the Church of St. Francis de Sales were later additions. The Pinardi shed was transformed into a chapel in 1846 and was used as such until 1852.
It later became a dormitory and study hall for the Oratory students, then the dining room of the Salesian community. In 1928, it was restored as a chapel.
The small statue of Our Lady of Consolation (La Consolata), was purchased by Don Bosco and is especially treasured as the only surviving relic from the original Pinardi Chapel.