 Tosamaganga is about 12km (7½ miles) from Iringa. The name means ‘throwing stones’ in the Hehe language, referring back to the late 19th century when the local Hehe people defended themselves against the Germans by throwing stones from the top of a hill, now named Tosamaganga.
The site was settled by Italian missionaries who built the first Catholic church in Tanzania at Tosamaganga. A settlement grew up around the church and there is now a boy’s secondary boarding school, three primary schools, craft school, a nunnery, orphanage and hospital.
The Italians must have chosen the site because it is similar to a Tuscan hilltop, with steep wooded slopes.
For those guests staying a few days in Iringa, we can arrange a whole day visit to Tosamaganga. |
