Casa Madre dei Missionari Saveriani, Religious sanctuary in Parma, Italy
Casa Madre dei Missionari Saveriani is a neo-Romanesque brick palace on Viale San Martino, built from 1900 for the Xaverian Missionaries. Its oldest section rises symmetrically around an arcaded entrance, with balustraded bifora windows and terracotta friezes on the first three floors. A stepped pediment carries the Latin inscription Euntes docete omnes gentes beneath a 3.80 m bronze statue of the Redeemer by Pietro Tavani. Wings added in 1921 and 1957–59 form a U-shaped plan around an inner courtyard.
Founded in the late 1800s as headquarters for the Xaverian Missionaries, this site has coordinated missionary activities across continents since its establishment. It remains a central base for organizing and preparing missionary work on a global scale.
This place functions as a training center where missionaries prepare before departing for assignments around the world. It reflects the connection between the local community and global missionary work.
The grounds are open to visitors and guided tours are available to learn more about missionary work. It is helpful to check ahead of time, as tour availability may vary depending on the season and group size.
The refectory and the missionary museum share the same building: the Museo d'arte cinese ed etnografico opened in autumn 1901, the same year the palace was inaugurated, in a first-floor room. It is among Italy's oldest collections of Chinese art, gathered by Xaverian missionaries returning from Asia.
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