St. Dominic Savio (1842 - 1857) was an Italian adolescent student of St. John Bosco. He was studying to become a priest when at 14 he became ill and died. He was noted for his piety and devotion to the Catholic faith.

St. John regarded Savio very highly, and wrote this biography of his young student. This book, along with other accounts of him, were critical factors in his cause for sainthood. Despite his young age he was considered eligible for sainthood on the basis of his having displayed "heroic virtue" in his everyday life. He is the only person of his age group who was declared a saint not on the basis martyrdom. Savio was canonised a saint on 12 June 1954, by Pope Pius XII.