St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925) was a young man from Turin who loved mountains, friends, jokes and above all Jesus in the Eucharist and in the poor. The son of a wealthy and powerful family, he spent his money and his time secretly on the poorest people of his city, until he died of polio at twenty-four. St. John Paul II called him “the man of the eight Beatitudes,” and Pope Leo XIV canonized him on September 7, 2025, together with St. Carlo Acutis. His feast is July 4.
Who was Pier Giorgio Frassati?
- A privileged family. Pier Giorgio was born in Turin on April 6, 1901. His father, Alfredo Frassati, founded the newspaper La Stampa and became an Italian senator and ambassador to Germany; his mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter. His parents were not devout, but Pier Giorgio’s faith grew from childhood.
- Daily Mass and the Eucharist. As a student he went to Mass and Communion daily when he could, spent nights in Eucharistic adoration, and prayed the Rosary every day.
- Friend of the poor. He joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and visited poor families in the slums of Turin, bringing food, coal, medicine and rent money, often giving away his bus fare and walking home. He kept this so quiet that his family had no idea.
- Student and activist. He studied mining engineering at the Turin Polytechnic so that he could work with miners, among the poorest workers of his day. He was active in Catholic Action and the Catholic student movement, and stood up to fascist thugs.
- Dominican tertiary. In 1922 he became a lay member of the Dominican Order, taking the name Girolamo.
- Mountaineer. He loved climbing the Alps with his friends, the “Tipi Loschi” (“Shady Characters”), and saw the mountains as a way to God.
- Death. In late June 1925 he caught poliomyelitis, probably from the sick poor he visited, while his family’s attention was on his dying grandmother. Paralyzed, he still sent instructions for medicine to be taken to a poor man. He died on July 4, 1925, at twenty-four. At his funeral the streets filled with poor people his family had never heard of.
“Verso l’alto”: to the heights
On a photograph from one of his last climbs, Pier Giorgio wrote the words Verso l’alto, “to the heights” or “upward.” The phrase has become the motto of his life and of young people who follow him: always climbing higher, in the mountains and in holiness. Hikers’ groups, youth ministries and pilgrimages around the world use it in his honor.
Beatification and canonization
His body was found incorrupt when his tomb was opened in 1981, and it now rests in the Cathedral of Turin. Pope John Paul II beatified him on May 20, 1990, calling him “the man of the eight Beatitudes.” He has been a patron of World Youth Days, where his relics have been brought for young pilgrims to venerate. Pope Leo XIV canonized him in St. Peter’s Square on September 7, 2025, in the same ceremony as Carlo Acutis.
A prayer to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Written for this page:
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, you climbed mountains for the joy of it
and climbed toward God every day of your short life.
You found Jesus in the Eucharist and served him in the poor.
Pray for young people, that they may live with your joy, courage and purity.
Teach me to give quietly, to pray faithfully and to aim always verso l’alto, toward the heights.
St. Pier Giorgio, pray for us. Amen.
What is St. Pier Giorgio Frassati the patron saint of?
- Young people and World Youth Day pilgrims.
- Mountaineers, hikers and outdoor lovers. See patron saints of sports and hobbies.
- Students, especially university students.
- Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, to which he belonged, and all who serve the poor.
- Lay Dominicans and Catholic Action.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast day of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati?
July 4, the day he died in 1925.
When was Pier Giorgio Frassati canonized?
On September 7, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square, together with St. Carlo Acutis.
What does “Verso l’alto” mean?
“To the heights” or “upward.” Pier Giorgio wrote it on a photograph of one of his last climbs, and it became the motto of his life.
How did Pier Giorgio Frassati die?
Of poliomyelitis, probably caught while caring for the sick poor. He died within a week, on July 4, 1925, at twenty-four.
More saints and prayers
- St. Carlo Acutis
- Patron saints of sports and hobbies
- The Beatitudes
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
- Works of mercy
- Confirmation saint names
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Dates of beatification (May 20, 1990) and canonization (September 7, 2025) follow the acts of the Holy See.