L'Amico della Gioventu'

L’Amico della Gioventù

(ANS – November 2024) – In August 1877 Don Bosco founded the Bollettino Salesiano (“Salesian Bulletin”). Even before this original creation, however, Don Bosco had realized that his work with young people would be effective if he had available books that were suitable for poor and at-risk youths. And so he had begun to write small works for the people in general and for young people in particular.

In 1848 he launched a small newspaper for young people called L'Amico della Gioventù (“The Friend of Youth”), with the aim of promoting “religious, moral, and political interests.”

The periodical was printed by Speirani e Ferrero, a modest publishing house that stood near St. Rocco’s Church in Turin.  It came out every 3 weeks but was a minor failure. It produced only 61 issues.

Then came Letture Cattoliche (“Catholic Readings”), published not only in Turin, but thruout Italy. To crown all this publishing activity of Don Bosco, 1877 saw the birth of the Bollettino Salesiano.