Abstract
The early days of the Jesuit mission to China could be known in early modern Europe through three major sources composed by three members of its order: Michele Ruggieri's Relatione, composed in vulgar in the 1590s and remaining unpublished, Matteo Ricci's Commentari, completed in Italian around 1609, and the translation into Latin of the latter by Nicholas Trigault dated 1615.Composed between 1598 and 1599, 1 Michele Ruggieri's Relatione del successo della missione della Cina is today preserved in the Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu, 2 shelf mark Jap.Sin.101/I. 3 Responding to a request from the then Superior General of the Jesuit Order, Claudio Acquaviva, the document chronicles Ruggieri's travels across China from 1577 to 1591.The Relatione details Ruggieri's early attempts to gain entry into China and to establish a lasting Jesuit presence.It offers a detailed account of his initial experiences and endeavors, preceding the arrival of Matteo Ricci. 4 Notably, it provides the most comprehensive account of his journey with the Jesuit father Antonio de Almeida to the city of Shaoxing in the southeastern province of Zhejiang commenced on November 20, 1585. 5Ruggieri's text also contains a valuable account of his journey to Rome, undertaken at Alessandro Valignano's behest, in November 1588, to advocate for a papal embassy to China.While Ruggieri was expecting to return to China before long, the travel to Rome would mark the end of his Chinese mission, as he would never be allowed by his superiors in the Society to return to the country to which he wanted to dedicate his life.The Relatione concludes with various episodes that occurred in both China and Europe, as experienced by its author.