MONTUORI, LUIGI. - Born at Praiano di Amalfi on 17 Oct. 1798; died at Napoli on 8 May 1857. He entered the missionaries of S. Vincenzo at Napoli in 1816. In 1839 Sapeto (v.) De Jacobis (v.), assigned by Propaganda to Abyssinia. After working for some time at Gondar and vainly attempting to penetrate among the Galla (1840), he returned to Tigrai, where De Jacobis had remained, and from there went on to Khartum.
There he founded (1841) and directed a flourishing college for the natives, from which he hoped to draw good “catechists,” who would facilitate the work of penetration among the tribes of central Africa. He also opened a school “for white, black, and mulatto children.” The school and college were flourishing in 1849, when M., whose health had been seriously undermined, was compelled to return to Italy. He spent his last years in Napoli.
BIBLI: anon., Il signor L. M., ms. archive of the Mission, Napoli; P. Silva, La Congregazione della Missione in Italia, 1642-1925, Piacenza 1925, p. 369 ff. Annibale Bugnini