Carlo Tancredi Falletti, Marquis of Barolo, was born in Turin on 26 October 1782. From an early age, he distinguished himself for his intelligence, disposition for justice, attention to the needs of the times and a strong tendency to promote and do all good. In Paris, at Napoleon’s court, he met Giulia Colbert, born in Maulevrièr, in the Catholic Vendée, on June 26, 1786; she is a woman endowed with exquisite femininity and genuine spirituality.
Although very different in temperament and character, they immediately found themselves in harmony with the profound values and ideals of life. They were married on August 18, 1806, and for the poor, they began their wedding visits without interrupting them. The affection they felt for each other became purer and stronger over time because it was based on faith and charity.
Not having had the gift of children, the two spouses read this painful event within the always providential design of the “inscrutable wisdom of God” and lived a very fruitful spiritual fatherhood and motherhood. The experience of Providence and Mercy, made in their personal and conjugal life, led them to open themselves strongly to the reality of their time and to have a profound effect on the life of the city of Turin.
Giulia dedicated herself in a very special way to the problem of prisons, visiting the prisoners and establishing personal relationships with them, to lead them to the concrete experience of the love of God the Father, who takes care of his creatures. You denounced the sad situation of prisons to the Government and you personally did your utmost to transform the prison environment from a place of punishment of the condemned to a place of re-education and redemption of the person. This experience led her to the foundation of various institutions and in particular of a female congregation also made up of ex-convicts: the “Penitent Sisters of Saint Mary Magdalene”, today called “Daughters of Jesus the Good Shepherd”.
Carlo Tancredi devoted himself mainly to the education, instruction and training of children and young people. He held offices of a certain political importance: he was decurion and mayor of Turin, making concrete choices in favour of the integral development of his fellow citizens.
In his many charitable initiatives, the little ones occupied the pre-eminent place: for them he set up in his palace the “hospitalization rooms” (the first kindergartens in Piedmont) for the children of poor workers, who otherwise would have been abandoned for the streets. And in 1834, in agreement with his wife, he founded the Sisters of Sant’Anna, so that they could continue this mission in the Church at the service of the younger generations.
Carlo Tancredi died on 4 September 1838 in Chiari (BS), in the arms of his beloved wife; she survived him until January 19, 1864, completing the mission undertaken together at the service of the poorest.
The love of God, on which they founded their lives, continues to shine even today through their works. The canonization process is underway for both. It is therefore hoped that Carlo Tancredi and Giulia “together” will be proclaimed blessed and shine “as a couple” as a model of holiness for all families.
