- Religious Tourism
CENTRO COMBONIANO
Sites of interest at Limone sul Garda
INSTITUTE FOR COMBONI MISSIONARIES. It is a great honour for our little village that Daniele Comboni, the founder of the Institutes for Comboni Missionaries, was born in Limone. For this reason we suggest a visit to the "Tešöl", where you can gain a greater understanding of his life and work. Or you can simply relax in the special and calm atmosphere present in this area. His dream was to "save Africa through Africa" and to make his dream come true he did not hesitate to involve the whole church. He was convinced that his dream could only come true through the hand of god. In those times this was seen as a bold undertaking, but his unshakeable faith and love which knew no boundaries, meant he took high risks during his expeditions. The difficulties he found on his way did not stop him and his slogan "O Nigrizia O Morte" (Africa or Death) motivated him to establish “Institute for the missions for Africans" in 1867 and the “Institute of the pious mothers of Africans” in 1867. These apostle missions took all his strength and eventually his life and on 10th October 1881 he died in Khartoum (Sudan) of malaria and fatigue. The activities of the institutes he founded continued with much success and in 1969 nearly one hundred years later, the Institute for female layman Comboni Missionaries was founded. In 1990 the Layman Comboni Missionaries also came to life. Daniele Comboni was blessed by the Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome on 17th March 1996 for his work and sanctified on 5th October 2003. In "Tešöl" you can visit Daniele Comboni's house, it is a very simple abode which consists of a kitchen (that was used like a "Stube"), a master bedroom and a children's bedroom. You will find all the letters he wrote to his parents from Africa on the wall. The chapel under the abode was constructed later and it replaced the family's wood store. There is an altar made of olivewood, a wrought iron tabernacle and a wooden artefact sculpted by the famous South Tyrolean artist Paul Mussner who also made the Holy Family, the Holy Cross and the reading desk. In the small but interesting “Museum of Curiosities” you will find a number of natural and manmade curiosities, which have been brought here by the many Comboniani Padres from all over the world. We also recommend you visit the characteristic park that surrounds the chapel and house. A little further up you can admire the most marvellous view over Limone and Lake Garda.In Vicolo Pozzo nr. 1, Verona (near the Roman theatre in Piazza Isolo), there is a Comboni-Institute with an African Museu.