On Wednesday, August 12 the presentation of the book by Leopoldo A. Cafaro "A Visionary Priest - Antonio Sperti and the Orphanage of Belluno" will take place at Villa Buzzati Il Granaio.
In 1855, Belluno was struck by a severe cholera epidemic, and many children suddenly found themselves orphaned.
The Belluno native Don Antonio Sperti (1821-1898) was so affected by this that he decided to abandon his position as director of the Gregoriano Gymnasium to devote himself to the poor orphans. In December 1855, he rented some rooms in the former Capuchin convent in the central Piazza Campitello in Belluno and brought in 14 boys: thus, the Sperti Orphanage was born. After only three years, Don Antonio was able to open a new, more welcoming and spacious location, and later, not content, he wanted to renovate and reopen the nearby church of San Rocco, which was then abandoned. Throughout his life, he faced debts as well as criticism related to numerous initiatives, but with his unwavering faith, he managed to overcome all difficulties, even in creative ways. Surprising were the pilgrimages, true tours with the orphanage's band that traveled on foot through the provinces of Northern Italy. In 1861, the band arrived (this time by train) in Turin, where Don Sperti met his colleague and mentor Don Giovanni Bosco.
At the end of the presentation, the author is pleased to offer a refreshment to the participants.
