With a suitcase full of magic and a book of poetry, he has traveled around the world several times: he has performed in the Bolivian Andes and in the Brazilian favelas, in the African villages of Nigeria, Kenya, and Madagascar, among the children of the Philippines and Shanghai.
And also: among the many Chiriperos of Santo Domingo and the many Boys' Towns of Mumbai.
He has crossed the borders of the world: in the Amazon rainforest, among the ice of Antarctica, in the desolate deserts of Somalia, in Mexico, on the border with the United States, in the land of Tex Willer, in the Gaza Strip with the many children of Hamas.
He has suffered for the tragedies of forgotten wars among the children of Northern Uganda or the 'forced' labor of thousands of Cambodian children in the brick factories of Battambong.
He has shared joys and sorrows with the street children of the great metropolises of Asia or Latin America.
He has performed on all five continents, in hundreds of different environments, indoors, in small rooms packed to the brim, in mountain caves or outdoors under trees in forests or, again, in stadiums capable of holding more than 5,000 children.
He has given a magic wand to Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis; he entertained, alleviating their misery a little bit, the many children of Korogocho, with Alex Zanotelli; he rejoiced at the smile of Mother Teresa and her young nuns in the courtyard of the mother house in Calcutta with a magic show.
He is Don Silvio Mantelli, a Salesian priest, better known as Mago Sales, missionary of joy!! He defines himself
magician by passion and
priest by vocation
He created a Foundation and an Association (Smilab) with which he promotes the art of magic with shows, events, and theater schools, raising significant funds for humanitarian projects in missions around the world.
He was the first teacher of Arturo Brachetti and many other very talented Italian magicians.
The greatest magic of Don Silvio is his childlike heart that leads him to live his life in favor of childhood, especially the most abandoned, to whom he constantly gives smiles and solidarity (he currently helps more than 4,000 children around the world to live decently the great gift of life).
His motto is "Whoever saves a child, helps a piece of heaven illuminate the world".
You can meet him by booking a visit to the Museum of Magic in Cherasco (CN).
