Initiatives and activities celebrating the values, life and work of Luigi Guanella continue apace following his canonization last October. He was born in Fraciscio on the 19th December 1842. Moving to Como at the age of 12 to study for the priesthood led to his early pastoral work which took him first to Prosto, then Savogno dedicating himself to the poor and destitute, then in 1875 to Torino alongside don Bosco. Back in San Giacomo Filippo in 1881 he spent some months in isolation at Olmo. Appointed parochial administrator at Pianello del Lario, he oversaw a small hospice for orphans and the elderly before establishing the “Casa Divina Provvidenza” which served the needs of the most impoverished within society. Support for his work came from the faithful throughout Italy, Switzerland and even the United States.
In order to understand the spirit and essence of the man, five walks ‘sentieri meditativi’ have been established in his memory - some of them situated within the magnificent and unspoilt Valle Spluga.
They represent splendid opportunities for tranquillity, reflection and contemplation whilst following, quite literally in his footsteps. Details of the spiritual journeys are available locally.
One leaves Guanella’s home at Fraciscio - a natural enough starting point - and leads to Gualdera. A second one heads off from Olmo and a third invites you to explore
within the Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna – Lago di Mezzola.
Each itinerary has a spiritual theme and along the way the walker encounters small installations bearing key phrases representing the Saint’s Faith and Calling.
In Fraciscio it is possible to visit the birthplace of San Luigi. The oldest part of the house dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century as evidenced by the inscription engraved on the lintel of the entrance "18L + G35".
The structure, built by father Lorenzo, was inhabited by the Guanella family until 1948, when the Guanellians bought it. Over time, numerous interventions have been carried out to keep the memory of the Saint alive in his native country. The last renovation took place in 1999 when the house was divided into two parts: the historic one and the residential one. On the facade is painted a Madonna dating back to around 1862 since Luigi Guanella himself declares himself to be the author.
text and photo di ENRICO MINOTTI
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Informazioni ex art. 1, comma 125, della legge 4 agosto 2017 n. 124
Relativamente agli aiuti di Stato e aiuti de Minimis, si rimanda a quanto contenuto nel
“Registro nazionale degli aiuti di Stato” di cui all’articolo 52 L. 234/2012 (www.rna.gov.it).
