Sections of the Archive

The Central Salesian Archive can be seen as divided into sections:

Structural

(current, deposit, historical, restricted): like the vast majority of archives.

A couple of images of hanging folders in the compactable cabinets of the Current Archive in Via Marsala, under the care of the General Secretariat.

• The current archive… based at the General House in Via Marsala, 42, Rome 00185. It holds documents in frequent use, such as the personal records of living members and candidates (novices), of houses and works, of the circumscriptions (provinces, visitatories, delegations), the recorded documentation of the General Secretariat and the General Council, the procurator’s files, etc.

• The deposit archive… based at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in the Don Bosco Library building, Piazza dell’Ateneo Salesiano 1, Rome 00135. It holds the documentation transferred for the historical archive, which is assessed and, over time, catalogued (inventoried, located and associated with the classes of the classification scheme) in the historical archive.

• The historical archive… which, alongside the deposit archive, preserves the documentation of realities that have come, in archival terms, “to a close” and are available to the institution and, in part, to researchers.

• The archive of restricted files… which is excluded from any consultation and in which the confidential documentation of the institution is kept.

• The working archive of the Postulator for the causes of saints, located in the Postulator’s offices in Via della Bufalotta.

Typological

(documents, books, audio, images, video, objects): here the type of the original format of the source — the archival unit — is recognised. The sections are distinguished at one level into groupings that reflect the types of resources, which are often placed not only on compactable shelving, in boxes or folders, but also in dedicated cabinets, filing units and card indexes.

ASC documents

The archive contains hundreds of thousands of documents. These are mostly paper documents, manuscripts, typescripts… This documentation is coded and stored according to the classes of the classification scheme.

Above, the example of a scan of a page of a notebook that belonged to Giovanni Bosco when he studied at Chieri between 1831 and 1841.

To search among the documents, in the dedicated search engine page select the documents item set with the selector and proceed using the conventional word-search options, possibly using the filters that narrow the search results.

Images and photographs

The archive holds images and period drawings — that is, static visual representations. Examples include photographs on various supports (glass photographic plates, slides, prints of positives and negatives, films, etc.), paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps.

An example of a period photo portraying three distinguished confreres: Mgr Giovanni Cagliero, Fr Pietro Ricaldone and Fr Paolo Albera.

Video

Video (moving images). A series of visual representations that give an impression of movement when shown in succession. Examples include animations, films, television programmes, videos, zoetropes or the visual output of a simulation, in various formats (videocassettes, discs, files).

Poster of the first film on Don Bosco, entitled “Don Bosco”, directed by Goffredo Alessandrini in 1935. The film is a biopic narrating the life of the saint, starring Gian Paolo Rosmino and Maria Vincenza Stiffi.

Fin del Mundo. Father Alberto Maria De Agostini discovering Tierra del Fuego. A film by Ed. Missioni Don Bosco, made in 2010 and on DVD.

Audio recordings

Audio (sound). A resource intended primarily to be listened to. Items include music playback formats, audiocassettes, audio compact discs, vinyl records, and recorded speeches or sounds, files.

Reel with a period audio recording.

Member profiles

The lives of the Salesians, their profiles — especially those of deceased members — have traditionally been circulated in the death letters since the earliest days of the Society. This section of the archive makes available the essential biographical references of the deceased SDB members whose date of death is known, from the beginning of the foundation to 2022. Any “in memoriam” letters in digitised copy, booklets or texts describing the person’s profile can be traced here.

Above: the example of the title page of the death letter of Fr Angelo Amadei.

Building projects

Each project should have documentation divided into: papers signed by the owner, the qualified technician and a summary report; a list of parties involved in the case (e.g. those with title — co-owners, usufructuaries, etc. — other professionals and companies involved); a design report fully describing the work, which involves graphics of the existing state and of the project, survey photographs, cadastral maps and the municipal planning instrument, secretarial elements, urbanisation charges, preliminary construction costs, documents required by special regulations (systems, architectural barriers, energy saving, safety…), clearances, authorisations, opinions, civil permits and certifications (fire prevention…).

Folders are divided by nation and work/house of the province.

Above: plan of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, Valdocco.

Objects

An inanimate three-dimensional object or substance (painting, sculpture, work of art…: ring, purse, inkwell, chalice, candelabrum, frame, rosary, cross, ex-voto, jewel, gonfalon, icon, medal, coin, glasses, monstrance, relic, commemorative plaque…). Digital representations or surrogates of these objects should use Image, Text or one of the other types.

Gonfalon of the past pupils.

Booklets and books

(published and unpublished works). Specific works produced by the founder and the members, especially in the early days of the Society. Most of these are also, and above all, held in the Don Bosco Library of the University and in the Library of the Salesian Historical Institute.

Above: example of the cover of a biography of Don Bosco written by Fr Caviglia, held in digital copy in the book item section.

Specific and particular

Acts of the General Council

By “Acts of the General Council” (from 1984) is meant the official organ of animation and communication for the Salesian Congregation. The periodical publication, produced by the General Secretariat [cf. ACG (1984) 311, p. 126], serves to promulgate the directives of the Rector Major and his Council and to disseminate official information. Copies of translations are held in digital form: Acts, Actes, Actas, Atos, Amtsblatt.

above: title pages of the editions of the Acts in several languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German.

Salesian periodicals

The archive holds the issues of periodicals in paper form, bound — such as the Salesian Bulletin — and/or in digital copy. The issues of the following periodicals, especially the discontinued ones, are almost entirely in PDF format. The number in brackets indicates an approximate number of available issues.

• Armonia di voci e Voci bianche (38)
• Armonia di voci 1946–2000 (326)
• Bollettino Salesiano (1,770)
• Cagliero (15)
• Catechesi fotomontaggi (28)
• Catechesi (LDC review, 1931 to 2019 and later)
• Catechesi CD
• Cnos.Fap – Rassegna CNOS (114)
• Collana Lux LDC (13)
• Convergenze (29)
• Dimensioni nuove (70)
• Dossier catechista (179)
• Gioventù missionaria (524)
• Il tempio di Don Bosco (188)
• Insegnamento della Religione cattolica (142)
• Le compagnie (50)
• Letture cattoliche (384) up to 1888
• Meridiano 12 (138)
• Mondo Erre (171)
• Mondo nuovo, Collana LDC (100)
• Mondo Erre (13)
• Ora di religione (6)
• Orientamenti pedagogici (391)
• Ricerche Storiche Salesiane (73)
• Rivista Maria Ausiliatrice (72)
• Salesiano coadiutore (111)
• Salesianum, from 1939 to 2015
• Voci fraterne (933)

above: example of the cover of an issue of Letture Cattoliche.

above: example of the cover of an issue of Armonia di Voci.

above: example of the cover of an issue of Meridiano 12.

above: example of the cover of an issue of Convergenze, the periodical of the Coadjutors.

Musicians and music in Salesian houses

The archive holds manuscripts and printed works of sacred songs, sacred choirs for mixed voices, duets, organ scores, motets, etc., produced by the Salesian members who have composed music since the earliest days of the congregation.

For example, a list of member-musicians, masters and composers:

• Cardinal Giovanni Cagliero (1838–1926)
• Giuseppe Dogliani SDB (1849–1934)
• Giovanni Pagella SDB (1872–1944)
• Enrico Scarzanella SDB (1879–1955)
• Luigi Lasagna SDB (1906–1991)
• Virgilio Bellone SDB (1907–1981)

Salesian bands

In the autumn of 1853 Don Bosco organised the first musical band among the artisans, “as another means which he judged suitable to keep the young away from evil.” “Boys must be kept continually busy: besides school and trade, they must be involved in music and in the little clergy: their minds will thus be in constant activity.” The first band of the Oratory was made up of just twelve instruments; its leader was the boarder Callisto Cerutti, an excellent musician, very skilled at playing the organ. Among the first masters were Giuseppe Buzzetti and Pietro Enria; then De Vecchi, Cagliero, Dogliani. Salesian bands around the world are found especially in the vocational institutes and the oratories…

above: example of a musical score by Dogliani.

Salesian theatre

The theatrical performances for the boys of the Oratory originated in the years when the young Carlo Tomatis, with Don Bosco’s advice and consent, kept the boys of the Oratory entertained on Saturday evenings — while they had to wait a long time for Don Bosco to finish hearing confessions — with delightful sketches that delighted the small audience. This developed further when, later on, farces or comedies began to be staged on a portable stage. An activity thus developed which, in Don Bosco’s joyful system, had mainly formative aims: the essential educational basis; the typical variety of repertoire; the dramatic publications; the educational show.

above: example of the cover of a theatrical booklet by Uguccioni and Alcantara.

The theatre booklets

List in progress.