Saint’s family lives in South Africa

by Letters Editor · August 25, 2011

From Andre Martinaglia, Cape Town

Few people know that relatives of St Alphonsus de Liguori, founder of the Redemptorist order, live in Boshoek, Rustenburg (whose diocese is headed by a Redemptorist, Bishop Kevin Dowling).

They live on the farm called �Tripolitania�’, named after a province in Libya, which was a former Italian colony.

The farm lies between the town of Ladybrand in the Free State and the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho.

The first Liguori to arrive in South Africa was Camillo, son of Giuseppe Liguori, who in 1850 was the sole survivor when an earthquake levelled the family palace in Montemurro, Lucania. He was 14 years old at the time. Thereafter he led a life of severe hardship through the loss of his family.

Camillo arrived in South Africa in 1903, after been invited by his friend Domenico di Trani, who already had been resident in the area, and had his own farm and business.

Camillo found work by restoring many of the churches which had been damaged in the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902).

In 1912 he was able to purchase a desolate plot, and he and Domenico�s sister Teresa di Trani set about cultivating the land, and planting trees there. A beautiful Italian style farmhouse was built there, worthy more of some elegant city suburb.

Soon the farm became a model in its own right in South Africa, especially for its advanced cattle breeding techniques. Inspectors from the Italian Colonial Institute made note of the knowledge they acquired on their visit.

Camillo�s daughter, Rosalia Liguori, subsequently became an expert on African traditions, writing many volumes of �Fairy Tales� which were distributed to many schools in the area for use at primary school level. Copies can still to found in the family library on the farm.

On the farm one will also find San rock paintings which are looked after with tender loving care by the Liguori family.

Today the Tripolitania farm is owned by John Liguori who runs it with his son Giuliano.