Ampitiya Seminary, also known as National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka (Sinhala: ලංකා අප ස්වාමිදුවගේ ජාතික සෙමනේරිය), is a Roman Catholic Seminary situated in Ampitiya in Kandy District, Sri Lanka.
History
The seminary was established on 3 May 1893 following a decision by Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 A.D.) in 1890 to set up a Central Seminary to train indigenous clergies of India and Sri Lanka (Abeywardana, 2004). The first superior of the seminary was Fr. S. Grosjean and the seminary is said to have attracted students from India at its inception (Abeywardana, 2004). Philosophy, Physics, Mathematics and Latin were the subjects taught and by 1899, the institution took on the official denomination of "Pontifician Seminarian Kandyense" (Abeywardana, 2004).
Later the Ampitiya College was established on the premises by Fr. A. Berrewaerts and the seminary was shifted to Yatawara Walawwa in Ampitiya (Abeywardana, 2004).
Building
Constructed of granite blocks, the four-storied seminary building is of architectural interest. It consists of 36 rooms and two Mandapas (Rajapakse, 2016). The ground storey is connected to the upper floors through wooden stairs.
References
1) Abeywardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Kandurata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.40-41.
2) Rajapakse, S., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Mahanuwara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-34-8. p.33.
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This page was last updated on 2 April 2023
