🎨 THE CHAPEL AND ARTISTIC TREASURES

We now enter the chapel, the spiritual heart of Casa Madre. This space, as you see it today, was designed by Sister Lucia Paganoni, a Comboni missionary, and enriched by the paintings of another Comboni sister, the renowned artist Sister Maruska Ruttar.

The current chapel was consecrated in 1950 and replaced the old chapel, whose ceiling is now part of the library.

The Altarpiece of the Sacred Heart

At the center of the main altar we admire the Altarpiece of the Sacred Heart, dating back to 1893 and holding a story particularly dear to the Comboni Sisters.

According to oral tradition, the painting was commissioned by Monsignor Comboni himself from the painter G. Zannoni. The artist had promised he would complete it as soon as he finished his work in the church of Monteforte d'Alpone.

Time passed, Comboni died in 1881, and the work was delayed. The painter Zannoni himself died prematurely in a fall from scaffolding, and the painting of the Sacred Heart remained in his studio. No one knew to whom it belonged, until a friend of the painter revealed it had been commissioned by "a famous missionary with a beard"—that is, Monsignor Comboni.

With immense joy, it was transported to the church at Casa Madre, where the measurements coincided exactly with the space provided above the main altar.

Observing the work carefully, we notice the central figure of Christ showing his pierced heart surrounded by flames, a symbol of divine love that gives itself without reserve. The expression on Jesus' face conveys both majesty and tenderness, power and mercy.

The Works of Sister Maruska Ruttar

Continuing through the chapel and the adjacent veranda, we can admire the paintings and frescoes of Sister Maruska Ruttar, a talented artist born in Slovenia in 1903 and who died in Verona in 1996.

She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan before entering the Congregation of the Pious Mothers of Nigritia. Her artistic talent was placed at the service of the mission, creating sacred works that enrich numerous Comboni churches and chapels.

Observe the decorative panels in the chapel choir, which represent biblical scenes with simple yet profound figurative language, and the painting of the Way of the Cross, where the artist captured the pain and redemption of Christ with unique sensitivity.

In the wide veranda, you can admire the icon of Christ the King and other paintings by Sister Maruska, where you notice the influence of Byzantine iconography that merges with African elements, reflecting the missionary vocation of the Congregation.

Comboni Spirituality

Comboni spirituality is centered on the pierced heart of Jesus.

As one of the founder's most famous phrases states, for Comboni contemplating Christ's side on the cross meant contemplating a love that knows no limits and that compels one to give oneself to the utmost.

← Back to Tour