Turin, Italy, Jul 8, 2025 /
13:24 pm
A new multimedia museum dedicated to the life of Pier Giorgio Frassati has opened in Turin, Italy, offering pilgrims and visitors an immersive look at the soon-to-be saint’s vibrant faith, political engagement, and Marian devotion.
Housed in the former rectory of the Church of Santa Maria di Piazza — where Frassati used to spend hours in Eucharistic adoration — the permanent exhibition, titled “Verso l’altro” is an initiative of the Archdiocese of Turin and opened its doors on July 5.
Cardinal Archbishop Roberto Repole of Turin and Mayor Stefano Lo Russo presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The unveiling capped three days of commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of Frassati’s death.
In an interview with CNA, the cardinal expressed his hopes for the future of the small museum.
“[Frassati] tells us that at any age of life you can live a full life, a holy life,” Repole said.
“My hope is that this will be a place that brings together many dimensions of our city,” he added. “That it can also become a place of connection between people belonging to different cultures and peoples because it could really be visited by so many tourists and that it will be a testimony especially to the world of youth.”
While small in size, the exhibition houses multiple rooms with large video projections, historical photos, and some of Frassati’s belongings to tell the story of his life.
The name of the museum plays off Frassati’s famous words, “Verso l’alto” (“To the heights”). By adding one letter to the phrase, the title of the exhibition, “Verso l’altro” (“Toward the other”) also draws attention to his works of charity with the poor and marginalized.
The exhibition arrives just in time for the influx of visitors expected for the Vatican’s Jubilee of Youth in late July and for Frassati’s canonization, which will take place alongside that of Blessed Carlo Acutis on Sept. 7.
Christine Wohar, executive director of Frassati USA, a Nashville, Tennessee-based nonprofit apostolate dedicated to spreading awareness of his life, welcomed the museum as a long-overdue tribute in Frassati’s hometown.
“There are several significant social saints from the Turin area — Don Bosco, Caffaso, Allamano to name a few — not to mention the holy shroud,” Wohar said. “So Pier Giorgio Frassati is just one among many in the area. This is frustrating if you have a devotion to him and cannot find any information about him anywhere.”
Frassati’s tomb is located in Turin’s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which also houses the Shroud of Turin, a sacred relic believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus.
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“The first time I visited the cathedral, I walked right past his side altar and didn’t even know his coffin was there,” Wohar said. “There was no explanation that it is located behind the floral display painted by his mother.”
“I am very excited that there will be an exhibition space dedicated just to him and hope it will be something permanent for future pilgrims to enjoy, especially after he is canonized,” she added.
The exhibition includes excerpts from Frassati’s letters, videos showcasing the places that shaped him — Turin, its suburbs, European cities he visited, and the countryside of Pollone — and brings special focus to the mountains he used to climb as a symbol of his spiritual ascent.
Next to Frassati’s snowshoes mounted on a wall of the museum is a quote from one of his letters written to a friend in 1923. “Every day I fall more and more in love with the mountains and would like to spend whole days in the mountains contemplating in that pure air the greatness of the Creator,” Frassati wrote.
Repole emphasized that Frassati is an important witness for young people today as “a young man full of vitality and joy.”
“I think this can be very fruitful and helpful for young people today who sometimes are struck by anxieties and sadness,” Repole said.
“Above all I would say that he is a man of faith, someone who really staked his existence on faith in Jesus Christ, finding in him a full meaning of life that made him live it to the fullest even though he died young, and of this meaning I think young people today have a great need,” he added.
“What strikes me most is his Eucharistic devotion,” the cardinal noted.
Sister Carmela Busìa, the archdiocese’s pastoral coordinator for youth and children, described the exhibit as an invitation to discover how “to live youth intensely.”
“We are very excited about the opening of this place dedicated to Pier Giorgio Frassati: His witness is truly precious and encouraging for young people,” she said.
“He was able to find time for everything: friendships, study, prayer, commitment, and fun. In ‘Verso l’altro’ young people will find a companion on the road, to understand how to dedicate themselves to others.”
Admission to the museum, located at Via Santa Maria, 4, is by reservation only via email at prenotazioni@versolaltro.it or on the website versoaltro.it.
Currently, the video installations are only in Italian, but English, Spanish, and Polish versions will be available beginning Sept. 1 for international visitors attending the canonization.
Pilgrims can also visit the Frassati family home in Pollone, about 50 miles north of Turin, where with special permission they can see Pier Giorgio’s bedroom, preserved with his original furniture and offering views of the Alpine peaks he loved.
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees. She is the author of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers” (Ignatius, 2023), https://ignatius.com/carlo-acutis-sscap/.
