BOSCO JOHN: (1815-1888) Don Bosco. Italian Roman Catholic Priest, Educator and Writer. He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method known as the Salesian Preventive System. Founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Canonized as a saint in 1934. Rare A.L.S., `Umile Servitore Sac.[erdote] G.[iovanni] Bosco´, one page, 4to, Torino, 25th November 1878, to Countess Callori, in Italian. Bosco writes to his correspondent, calling her `Mia Buona Mamma´ (“My Good Mother”), and states in part `Ricevo sue notizie dal giardiniere Rizzoglio, che venne a fare sue divozioni nella chiesa di Maria con sua moglie´ (Translation: `I receive your news with the gardener Rizzoglio, who came to make his devotions in the church of Maria with his wife´) Bosco further refers to his own eyesight problems saying `Qui noi stiamo bene in genere. Soltanto la mia vista va precipitosamente peggiorando´ (Translation: `Here we are fine in general. Only my eyesight is deteriorating precipitously´) and before concluding, Saint John Bosco makes a singular comment about his eyesight and God, stating `Dio vede bene cosi, perché non me ne serviva come doveva´ (Translation: `God sees clearly like this, because I wasn't using it as it should´) Bosco concludes sending his blessing to his correspondent and family. With blank integral leaf. Very small overall minor creasing, otherwise VG

 

Countess Carlota Calori di Vignale (1827-1911) one of the most important financial benefactors of Bosco´s projects