Don Bosco was born in the evening of 16 August 1815

Bosco was born in the evening of 16 August 1815 in the hillside hamlet of Becchi, Italy.[11] He was the youngest son of Francesco Bosco (1784–1817) and Margherita Occhiena. He had two elder brothers, Antonio and Giuseppe (1813–1862).[11] The Boscos of Becchi were farmhands of the Moglia Family. John Bosco was born into a time of great shortage and famine in the Piedmontese countryside, following the devastation wrought by the Napoleonic wars and a drought in 1817.[12]

When he was little more than two years old his father Francesco died, leaving the support of three boys to his mother, Margherita.[13] She played a strong role in Bosco's formation and personality,[14] and was an early supporter of her son's ideals.[15][16]

In 1825, when he was nine, Bosco had the first of a series of dreams which would play an influential role in his outlook and work.[17] This first dream "left a profound impression on him for the rest of his life", according to his own memoirs.[17] Bosco apparently saw a multitude of very poor boys who play and blaspheme, and a man, who "appeared, nobly attired, with a manly and imposing bearing".[17] The man said to him:

You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. So begin right now to show them that sin is ugly and virtue beautiful.[17]

When the traveling entertainers performed at a local feast in the nearby hills, John watched and studied the jugglers' tricks and the acrobats' secrets. Then he would put on shows of his skills as a juggler, magician and acrobat[18] with prayers before and after the performance.[19]

Poverty prevented any serious attempt at schooling. John's early years were spent as a shepherd, and he received his first instruction from a parish priest.[13] his childhood experiences are thought to have inspired him to become a priest.[20] At the time, being a priest was generally seen as a profession for the privileged classes, rather than farmers, although it was not unknown.[20] Some biographers portray his older brother Antonio as the main obstacle for Bosco's ambition to study, as the brother protested that John was just "a farmer like us!"[21]

On a cold morning of February 1827, John left his home and went to look for work as a farm-servant. At 12, he found life at home unbearable because of the continuous quarrels with Antonio.[20] Having to face life by himself at such a young age may have developed his later sympathies to help abandoned boys. After begging unsuccessfully for work, Bosco ended up at the wine farm of Louis Moglia.[20] Although Bosco could pursue some studies by himself, he was not able to attend school for two more years. In 1830 he met Joseph Cafasso, an elderly priest who identified some natural talent and supported his first schooling.[22] In 1835 Bosco entered the seminary at Chieri. After six years of study, he was ordained

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