Valencia: November 22, 1894 the first Salesians arrived in Valencia, the city of Cabriales had been eagerly awaiting them since 1895 when the first contacts were made with Don Bosco himself and he was asked to send the first missionary expedition, the prevailing atmosphere A product of the Guzmancista era, he was a ghost that kept Don Bosco's children away for some time.
The Salesians make up a boarding school that soon had a significant number of students, its initial cost was 15 bolivars and it remained open until 1968 when, by orders of the Superiors, Father Ricardo Alterio as Director was responsible for decreeing its closure and the externed.
This boarding school had been in operation since 1895; just a few months after the arrival of the Salesian Fathers to Valencia. Seventy-three years of uninterrupted operation. Seventy-three years of seeing the arrival of the beginning of the second half of September, young schoolchildren loaded with suitcases, with a heavy face, and with their spirits in suspense in the face of the possible surprises of the boarding school. Seventy-three years in which, in the last days of July, the girl group dispersed, with joy reflected in her countenance, jubilant and chatty at the return to her paternal lap.
The boarding school that was closed gave an appearance, and was a very special component for the "Don Bosco" school in Valencia.
The property, facing La Fortuna Street, today Anzoátegui Avenue, was narrow and uncomfortable. The Fathers opened operations, knowing that they would operate there for a short time. A few months later, with more than two hundred students enrolled, on April 1, 1895, they settled in an old house of colonial architecture, facing El Sol Street, today Páez Street; acquired for the amount of Twenty-Six Thousand Bolívares. It was then that they were able to breathe freely, and begin to talk about relative comfort.
Félix Andrés Bergeretti gave the Salesian house of Valencia its precise orientation. Teaching in the classroom, and teaching in the Workshops. Primary school. Secondary Education. And Craft Teaching. Tailor shop. Graphic arts. Carpentry. With the wonderful collaboration of two young clerics, Jacinto Piana and José María Grazzini, as Brother Coadjutor Falletti, all arriving to reinforce the cast of the new house; The teaching of music, and the different groups that it involves, would gain expression and strength. The School Band would, before long, be the group that would animate the end-of-year programs, as well as many other events in the life and running of the city.The Don Bosco Band founded in 1896
It is the oldest band in Venezuela, it was founded by Father Caduque and Father Rivolta.
It was made up of school students, the vast majority of whom were semi-boarding students.
It is composed of a rhythmic band that had lyres, grenadiers, snare drums, cymbals, triangle, bass drums and harmonica made up of clarinets, pídanos, trombones, euphoniums, conch tubas, tenor and alto saxophones and trumpets. Additionally, they had a gymnastic body of student athletes who performed gymnastic and acrobatic exercises for 60 young people.
In its entirety the band was made up of almost 300 players combined. The symphony orchestra received classes for the band with music teachers from Caracas sent by the presidency of the Republic during the time of Cipriano Castro, Juan Vicente Gómez, López Contreras and Marco Pérez Jiménez. Through these instruments and uniforms were assigned.
The band functioned without any problems until approximately 1950 when Father Rivolta together with Father Casique decided to close the band due to internal problems and not being able to have an advisor who could take charge. It was not until 1974, under the direction of Father Scurato, director at that time of the school, that through the young people I sought Prato Caseres, students of the 4th year of science, Leonardo Torres, student of the 4th year of La Salle School, Nicolás Quintero, student of 5th year, 1st year student Miguel Zabala and other students fortuitously
