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My Brother Pier Giorgio: His Last Days
From the heart of his sister, Luciana, we receive this gripping first-hand testimony of Pier Giorgio's last week on earth. In his final days, his Christian character was revealed in an extraordinary way-his devotion to friends and family, his longing to marry the girl he loved, his concern for the poor, and above all his acceptance of God's will. In the end, his family was astonished by the huge multitude that formed his funeral procession-finally realizing that Pier Giorgio was destined to belong to the whole world. Recounted with incredible detail and love. No one will come away from reading this book unchanged.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Luciana Frassati
12 books8 followersLuciana Frassati Gawronska (18 August 1902 – 7 October 2007) was an Italian writer and author. Gawronska was a prominent anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist activist in both Poland and Italy and was considered a champion of Roman Catholic causes.
Luciana Frassati was born on 18 August 1902 in Pollone, Italy, near the municipality of Biella. Her father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder of the Torino based newspaper, La Stampa, a well-known, daily newspaper. Her mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a well known painter.
Frassati's brother was Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died of polio in 1925. Her brother was formally beatified as "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati" by Pope John Paul II on 20 May 1990. Luciana Frassati Gawronska later wrote a first hand account of her brother's life, A Man of the Beatitudes . She campaigned throughout her life in the effort to elevate her brother to sainthood, though this has not yet occurred.
Frassati obtained a law degree from the University of Turin.
Frassati married Jan Gawronski in the spring of 1925. Gawronski was a diplomat and secretary to the Polish ambassador to Italy and the Vatican at the time. Gawronski would later become the last Polish ambassador to Austria before the country's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938.
Gawronska received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland from the Polish government in 1993 for her service to the country. She was also named an admired woman of Poland in the 1 March 2003 issue of Wysokie Obcasy, joining other Polish and international figures such as Hillary Clinton.
Luciana Frassati Gawronska died on 7 October 2007, at the age of 105 at her home in Pollone, Italy. Her funeral was held on 9 October 2007 at the Turin Cathedral. She was buried in her family's tomb in the space once occupied by the coffin of her brother, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose remains have since been moved to the Turin Cathedral.
Luciana Frassati was born on 18 August 1902 in Pollone, Italy, near the municipality of Biella. Her father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder of the Torino based newspaper, La Stampa, a well-known, daily newspaper. Her mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a well known painter.
Frassati's brother was Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died of polio in 1925. Her brother was formally beatified as "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati" by Pope John Paul II on 20 May 1990. Luciana Frassati Gawronska later wrote a first hand account of her brother's life, A Man of the Beatitudes . She campaigned throughout her life in the effort to elevate her brother to sainthood, though this has not yet occurred.
Frassati obtained a law degree from the University of Turin.
Frassati married Jan Gawronski in the spring of 1925. Gawronski was a diplomat and secretary to the Polish ambassador to Italy and the Vatican at the time. Gawronski would later become the last Polish ambassador to Austria before the country's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938.
Gawronska received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland from the Polish government in 1993 for her service to the country. She was also named an admired woman of Poland in the 1 March 2003 issue of Wysokie Obcasy, joining other Polish and international figures such as Hillary Clinton.
Luciana Frassati Gawronska died on 7 October 2007, at the age of 105 at her home in Pollone, Italy. Her funeral was held on 9 October 2007 at the Turin Cathedral. She was buried in her family's tomb in the space once occupied by the coffin of her brother, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose remains have since been moved to the Turin Cathedral.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 11, 2020
Beautiful heart breaking story 💔
September 18, 2013
It's almost impossible for me to put into words how inspiring this book is. Luciana Frassati's memoir about her brother's last week on earth--when he lay dying of polio at the age of 24, surrounded by his unwitting loved ones in his family home, quietly suffering until the bitter end so as not to divert the attention from his elderly grandmother, who was also dying--is one of the most moving and affecting tributes it has ever been my privilege to read.
I was first introduced to Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), a perfect model of Christian faith, hope, and charity if there ever was one, when I read a couple of pages about him in a book about modern saints called Faces of Holiness. Something about his story--and his handsome face with its engaging smile--spoke to me, and I wanted to learn all I could about him.
My Brother Pier Giorgio, His Last Days is the first complete book I ever read about this future saint, who was named a Blessed by Pope John Paul II and is considered a patron of young adults (although I went on to read a biography, also penned by his sister, titled A Man of the Beatitudes). I devoured it in one sitting. And not long afterward, I re-read it. Then I re-read it, and for good measure, I re-read it once again...I truly don't know how many times I've read this beautiful book at this point. It's a slim volume, and a quick read; but so much holiness, self-sacrifice, and love are packed in its pages.
This book will inspire you to become a saint, and it will show you that you can be an "average Joe" like this young Italian man was--an athletic mountain climber, a jokester with countless friends, a student who struggled academically, a son who was misunderstood and underappreciated by his family, a man in love who had to renounce the woman of his dreams because his parents didn't approve of her--and yet, you can make the kind of heroic sacrifices in your daily life that will put you on the path to Heaven. You can love God and revere the Blessed Mother. You can treat the poor and the sick with true Christian charity.
It has been said of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati that he always carried a Rosary in his pocket, and that people were moved to imitate him just by seeing the joy on his face when he prayed. I know that I, for one, have been moved by him. And this heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, story of his last days is well worth your time--whether you're a Catholic or not.
I was first introduced to Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925), a perfect model of Christian faith, hope, and charity if there ever was one, when I read a couple of pages about him in a book about modern saints called Faces of Holiness. Something about his story--and his handsome face with its engaging smile--spoke to me, and I wanted to learn all I could about him.
My Brother Pier Giorgio, His Last Days is the first complete book I ever read about this future saint, who was named a Blessed by Pope John Paul II and is considered a patron of young adults (although I went on to read a biography, also penned by his sister, titled A Man of the Beatitudes). I devoured it in one sitting. And not long afterward, I re-read it. Then I re-read it, and for good measure, I re-read it once again...I truly don't know how many times I've read this beautiful book at this point. It's a slim volume, and a quick read; but so much holiness, self-sacrifice, and love are packed in its pages.
This book will inspire you to become a saint, and it will show you that you can be an "average Joe" like this young Italian man was--an athletic mountain climber, a jokester with countless friends, a student who struggled academically, a son who was misunderstood and underappreciated by his family, a man in love who had to renounce the woman of his dreams because his parents didn't approve of her--and yet, you can make the kind of heroic sacrifices in your daily life that will put you on the path to Heaven. You can love God and revere the Blessed Mother. You can treat the poor and the sick with true Christian charity.
It has been said of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati that he always carried a Rosary in his pocket, and that people were moved to imitate him just by seeing the joy on his face when he prayed. I know that I, for one, have been moved by him. And this heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, story of his last days is well worth your time--whether you're a Catholic or not.
January 31, 2026
No pensé que a través de la narración de la última semana de vida de este joven fuese a quedar tan cautivado por su persona, su fe, y su manera de afrontar y VIVIR la vida.
Muy recomendable acercarse a conocer la figura del gran Pier Giorgio Frassati, una vida dada y entregada a sus amigos, al disfrute, a la alegría, a los más necesitados y a Dios.
No será lo último que lea sobre este inspirador santazo de inicios del S. XX.
Muy recomendable acercarse a conocer la figura del gran Pier Giorgio Frassati, una vida dada y entregada a sus amigos, al disfrute, a la alegría, a los más necesitados y a Dios.
No será lo último que lea sobre este inspirador santazo de inicios del S. XX.
December 17, 2024
A poignant memoir looking into the last week of this Saint's life. Hindsight is truly 20/20
November 3, 2025
Captivating read
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews