(ANS – Rome – September 18, 2026) – The Fondazione CRT (Cassa di Risparmio di Torino) has launched a new three-year program dedicated to social regeneration and youth development: “Strongholds of Beauty: Regenerated Places, Growing Communities.” The €5.9 million investment focuses on two areas facing significant challenges—Turin and Avigliana—with the Salesians of Piedmont playing a leading role in the project.
The initiative aims to restore beauty to these communities while creating new educational opportunities and strengthening networks capable of supporting children, young people, and families.
Avigliana: Casa Madonna dei Laghi Becomes a New Educational Hub
Within the complex of the Madonna dei Laghi Sanctuary, Fondazione CRT is supporting a major development project in collaboration with the Agostino Richelmy Salesian Institute and the Salesian youth association AGS per il Territorio ETS.
The renovation of the retreat center and sanctuary facilities will transform the area into a modern, welcoming educational center capable of hosting workshops and training courses, residential stays for groups and schools, family activities, and initiatives focused on educator training and development.
The project is part of “Constellations,” a program that brings together leading Salesian initiatives addressing early school leaving and educational poverty. It highlights the Preventive System and the extensive presence of Salesian works throughout Piedmont.
According to estimates, the new center will benefit more than 6,000 people, including:
- More than 2,500 young people
- 1,400 families
- 400 teachers
- 1,450 members of local communities
Turin: New Community Spaces in the Aurora and Barriera di Milano Neighborhoods
The second initiative focuses on two Turin neighborhoods affected by inequality, isolation, and early school leaving: Aurora-Porta Palazzo and Barriera di Milano.
In collaboration with the Youth Missionary Service (SERMIG) and the Maria Regina della Pace Youth Center, Fondazione CRT is supporting the regeneration of several spaces, including multipurpose halls, areas dedicated to children and teenagers, and the former Cinema Lanteri, which is set to become a new community hub.
These spaces will host educational, cultural, sporting, and recreational activities for young people, along with after-school programs, academic support, youth empowerment initiatives, and community outreach.
The project also includes parenting initiatives and services for the most vulnerable families, with the goal of strengthening social cohesion and expanding educational opportunities throughout the local community.
Beauty as an Educational Tool
The program is rooted in the recognition that educational poverty is one of the major challenges facing Italy and the Piedmont region. For this reason, Fondazione CRT emphasizes the educational value of beauty: well-maintained environments and revitalized spaces can support learning, reduce stress, increase motivation, and strengthen a sense of belonging.
Concluding his remarks, Fr. Giorgio Degiorgi, Provincial of the Salesians of Piedmont, stated:
“Avigliana is first and foremost a home, just as Don Bosco wanted our works to be called. It will be a place capable of offering experiences that shape the future, in the name of beauty that educates.”
Source: Don Bosco Italia