To the Mayor of Turin, Felice Rignon

E III, 1504

Requests authorisation to fence a piece of land purchased at the Oratory in order to teach how to cultivate a garden.

Turin, 18 January 1871

Dear Mr Mayor,

The undersigned, recognising the need for the College to have a sufficiently large vegetable garden to enable some of the many young men housed there to train in this branch of industry which is still little cultivated, rather than turning them into skilled people in fields where there is already too much competition, purchased the necessary land for this purpose and, several months ago, applied to Your Excellency for authorisation to enclose the land with a boundary wall to make it suitable for the purpose.

This request was rejected on the grounds that the proposed boundary includes areas designated for public roads in the City Expansion Plan, which has already been approved.

The activation of these roads in the City Expansion Plan in the area in question is expected to take place in the distant future, and when it does, the removal of small sections of boundary walls that do not exist, except for those covered by a temporary permit that can be granted in accordance with the requirements of the Municipality, will be negligible. Meanwhile, the deprivation of the College’s ability to educate these pupils is ongoing and causes social harm. The undersigned trusts that, in view of these considerations, Your Excellency will reconsider the decision taken and grant permission for the proposed enclosure in accordance with the relevant drawings, which are submitted in duplicate.

Fr John Bosco