Matteo Ricci

6 October 1552 – 11 May 1610

Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China missions. Mastering the Chinese language and classics, he introduced Western science, mathematics, and cartography to Ming China, produced influential Chinese-language world maps, and became the first European admitted to the imperial capital of Beijing on the emperor's invitation.

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Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Matteo Ricci.

Life events

Born in Macerata, Papal States
6 October 1552

Matteo Ricci was born in Macerata, in the Papal States of central Italy, to a family of local standing.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Entered the Society of Jesus in Rome
1571

Ricci abandoned legal studies and joined the Jesuit order, studying philosophy, theology, mathematics, and astronomy under Christopher Clavius at the Roman College.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Sailed to Goa as a missionary
March 1578

Ricci departed Lisbon for Portuguese India, arriving in Goa in September 1578, where he taught and completed his theological studies.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Relocation ✓
Arrived in Macau to begin the China mission
August 1582

Summoned by Alessandro Valignano, Ricci reached Macau in 1582 and began intensive study of the Chinese language and script.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Relocation ✓
Settled at Zhaoqing and established the first Jesuit residence in mainland China
1583

With Michele Ruggieri, Ricci obtained permission to reside at Zhaoqing in Guangdong province, adopting Chinese dress and customs.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Produced the first European-style world map in Chinese
1584

At Zhaoqing, Ricci created a Chinese-language map of the world, later expanded into the famous 1602 Kunyu Wanguo Quantu printed in Beijing.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Admitted to Beijing under imperial patronage
24 January 1601

After presenting gifts including clocks and a clavichord to the Wanli Emperor, Ricci was allowed to reside in Beijing, where he worked with scholars such as Xu Guangqi on translating Euclid's Elements.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Published The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven
1603

Ricci wrote a Chinese treatise presenting Christian doctrine in dialogue with Confucian thought, one of several influential works he composed in Chinese.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Died in Beijing
11 May 1610

Ricci died in Beijing in 1610, and the Wanli Emperor granted an unprecedented plot of land for his burial in the capital.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Death ✓