On January 21st, we commemorate the 175th anniversary of the birth of Saint Joseph Allamano in Castelnuovo Don Bosco. We’ll tell you about this small town, the birthplace of four saints, here: its origins, 19th-century peasant life, the Allamano family, and teacher Benedetta Savio.
In northern Italy, in Piedmont, halfway between Turin and Asti, lies Castelnuovo Don Bosco. Starting from Turin, the capital of the region, it takes a car journey of just under 40 minutes to reach the heart of the lower Monferrato area, where Castelnuovo Don Bosco stands on one of the hills. Until 1930 it was called Castelnuovo d’Asti.
The area, known for the beauty of its landscape, is made up of a succession of green hills, orchards, woods rich in truffles, and above all ancient vineyards.
Saint Joseph Allamano, recalling his childhood, remarked:
“I was born in those places, among the vineyards. When we were children, we went to see what the vine growers were doing, out of curiosity, but sometimes they chased us away, because at that age we only made trouble. However, the sharecropper we had was a good old man, and he gathered us all together and explained things to us.”
The origins of the town date back to 1160, and its name is linked to the presence of a castle, belonging to the noble Rivalba family, which overlooked the village and was destroyed in 1395. Only one tower remains, dominating the town: today it serves as the bell tower for the nearby little church dedicated to Our Lady of the Castle.
The economy
In the nineteenth century, Castelnuovo d’Asti was a farming village that lived off agriculture and viticulture, with the resulting production of wines that still form part of the economic heritage of the Asti province today.
The dwellings
Farming families lived in farmhouses of varying size, which all shared a common feature: the adaptation of the available space to the needs of work and family life. The main rooms—kitchen, bedrooms, stables or storage areas—were always arranged according to what was most practical and functional. Stairs, small stairways, and balconies allowed people to move quickly within the house.
The family of Saint Joseph Allamano
The parents, Giuseppe Allamano and Marianna Cafasso, sister of Saint Joseph Cafasso, were excellent Christians and very charitable. They had five children: Giovanni, Orsola, Natale, Giuseppe, and Ottavio. Saint Joseph Allamano, the second to last, was born on January 21, 1851.
His father was a farmer and spent most of the day in the fields, without neglecting his family. He died in December 1853, when his son Giuseppe was not yet three years old, and about a month before the birth of the last child, Ottavio.
His mother, a strong and hardworking woman with solid faith, knew how to face and overcome the many difficulties of managing the family after her husband’s death. Mother Marianna was highly esteemed for her kindness and hospitality toward the poor and admired for her great charity. Those who knew her described her as follows:
“A woman of spotless virtue, like her brother Giuseppe Cafasso, she was a model mother, entirely devoted to the education of her children, charitable toward every form of suffering and misfortune, generous and attentive to the good of others. She never sent a poor person away or refused them lodging. When a poor woman gave birth to a child, she offered to prepare much of the baby’s layette; likewise, she visited the sick and helped them in every way.”
Widowed at a young age, she suffered the loss of her faithful companion and felt the full responsibility of raising her children in a Christian way. In this she was guided and advised by her brother-in-law, Father Giovanni Allamano, then parish priest of Passerano, who showed special care for his nephews and guided and helped them in their studies.
Allamano was bound to his mother by a most tender affection. At her death, after a long illness that led to blindness, in December 1869, Allamano said:
“It is not for me to deliver a eulogy for my mother…” “When I was at home, I acted as her interpreter in confession; it seems impossible: she had two eyes of paradise, yet she neither saw nor heard; and I explained things by making signs on her hand, and we understood each other perfectly.”
A significant event
The most significant event of his childhood was his meeting with his uncle, Father Joseph Cafasso. He himself recalled it in 1925 when, having gone to Castelnuovo Don Bosco for the celebrations of the beatification, he said:
“I saw Don Cafasso only once. I was then a little over six years old…” And pointing to a spot in the room of his home, he added: “It was here that I received his blessing.”
A guiding figure
Teacher Benedetta Savio guided and enlightened the childhood of Saint Joseph Allamano. A humble, wise, and intelligent woman, endowed with deep spirituality and interior life, whom Allamano never forgot. A special woman, profoundly united to God, whose life and teaching, carried out with love, greatly influenced the human and spiritual formation of our Founder. In fact, Allamano often and gratefully spoke of her to the missionaries and missionary sisters.
Watch the video
Sr. Maria Luisa Casiraghi and Sr. Raquel Soria, mc
