Don Bosco Comic Exhibition (Rome, 2026)

Pontificia Università Salesiana (UPS) in Rome will host the exhibition “Don Bosco: From Biographies to Comics” between 13 January and 20 February 2026. The exhibition brings together visual representations of Don Bosco, tracing his transition from written biographies to comic art.

Don Bosco was a 19th-century educator whose work with young people led to extensive biographical documentation during and after his lifetime. Over time, these written accounts were adapted into illustrated narratives and comic books.

The exhibition includes early biographical comics published from the 1920s onward. These works reflect the visual language and storytelling approaches of their periods. Original pages and illustrations by artists such as Jijé (Joseph Gillain), Alarico Gattia, and Nino Musio are also part of the display.

Don Bosco’s depiction in comics varies across decades. Some works emphasize instructional storytelling, while others focus more on narrative structure and visual sequencing. The exhibition presents these shifts in a chronological framework.

Biographical texts, rare publications, original drawings, and later graphic novel interpretations are shown together. The exhibition offers a clear overview of how comics have been used as a medium for biographical storytelling.

Exhibition Information

• Dates: 13 January – 20 February 2026
• Venue: Pontificia Università Salesiana (UPS), Atrium, Rome
• Admission: Free
• Languages: Exhibition texts in Italian and English; multilingual audio guide available

This exhibition provides a concise reference for those interested in the relationship between biography and comics.