Happy Birthday Gonzaga Institute!
One of the elements that most characterises the Society of Jesus is its vocation to educate children and young people in its colleges, a tradition that is now centuries old and amply testified to by the documents in our archives.
There are countless former and current pupils of Jesuit schools in Italy and around the world. They have founded alumni associations, many of which are still active even though the Institute has meanwhile ceased to exist. Several institutes are currently active in the Province: in Shkodra (Albania) in Milan, Turin, Rome, Palermo, Naples, Messina. Some of these institutes are in their original location, others have changed location several times in the course of their history, as we have already mentioned for the Massimo Institute.
This very year we are celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Gonzaga Institute, an important birthday, and the archive would like to pay tribute to the fathers, the school and all the pupils with the photographic documentation recently unearthed.
Reconstructing the history of one’s own school can hold many surprises in store, especially for those who attended classes in modern, renovated buildings. It is now possible, thanks to the help of some postcards, to go back in time and discover what some of the Colleges looked like, from the façade to the classrooms, from the garden to the toilets.
During the reorganisation of the L’Aquila College fund, four postcard carnets were found – still intact – depicting some of the main colleges: the Gonzaga in Palermo, the Pontano in Naples, the Collegio de L’Aquila and the Sociale in Turin. The photos are not dated but should date back to the early 20th century.
For the Gonzaga Institute, photos are preserved of the first nucleus, now surrounded by more recently built buildings, which from a private villa became a school building thanks to a donation to the Compagnia. The photos show not only the avenues and the building, but also the interiors and classrooms; below are some of the images of the College
Our archive also contains images and funds of the no longer active colleges of the Society of Jesus in the former Provinces. The historical archive can support, through photographic material, the projects of the Colleges and give back to the many students a part of their history.
Are you a pupil, a teacher or a former pupil and would you like to enrich the corridors of your school with period photos of your institution? Write an email to the archive: archivio.eum@gesuiti.it and find out what your school looked like in the past…
Maria Macchi
