The site, restored through the efforts of Pastor Stefano Bonnet in the 19th century, occupies a key niche in the Waldensian collective memory.
Interior of the coulege, cut by |
«...At length we came upon that mysterious sanctuary-fortress Pra del Torno,
the very heart of the Valleys: here in the pre-Reformation era was the theological
school for 'teachers, evangelists, and martyrs.' Here scripture and Latin alike
were studied, pocket manuscripts of portions of scripture were copied and religious
tracts were written.
From here the neo-pastors departed, two-by-two, to meet their sisters and brothers all across the continent--to Calabria, to Puglia, to Moravia, Hungary and Bohemia. Ostensibly, lest they draw attention to hostile eyes, they were merchants or physicians, but their real calling, as opportunity would provide, was seeding the word of God...»
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