The Italian Indological Studies had a beginning in Turin in 1852 when a chair in Sanskrit Studies was established at the University and awarded to the eminent Scholar Gaspare Gorresio (1807-1891), famous for his edition and translation of the Ramayana of Valmiki. It's undeniable that Gorresio was attracted to Indological studies owing to the "cultural ferments" coming from Europe where they were already fruitfully cultivated, but also owing to the influence of the fertile ground created in Turin by the tradition of some near East teachings, established at the University the year after its foundation that's in 1405. Gorresio was followed by a long list of scholars, down to prof. Oscar Botto. In 1963 O. Botto founded in Turin the Department of Oriental studies and directed it until 1995. With his rare philological thoroughness Botto studied the ancient Indian poetry, drama and epics, the politics tradition and Buddhism, giving a deep impulse to these studies which at present are carried out both at the University and at the Cesmeo, International Institute of Advanced Asian Studies, founded by him in 1982. It’s a page of history that is lasting since more than 150 years and that today has become so effective to liven up important working hypotheses that have been welcome with great interest and waited with concern in Italy and even more abroad, where a considerable group of Scholars is cooperating in some of most significant projects carried on in Turin which are the results of this great tradition, such as the Corpus Iuris Sanscriticum, Indologica Taurinensia, the first Sanskrit-Italian Dictionary and a new Italian version of the Valmiki- Ramayana.
