Pedro Daniel Oliveria
European Catholic priests who have been on mission in the East a few centuries ago have contributed greatly to the contact between Europe and China. Many have travelled on the Silk Road and the Spice Road as diplomats and artists. Some of them were Italians.
The subject was addressed by Professor Francesco Vossilla, speaker of the lecture “Diplomacy and artistic exchanges on the Silk Road and the Spice Road: some exemplary figures,” held at the Saint Joseph Seminary Hall, on July 11. The event was organized by Macau Ricci Institute.
“In fact, the first Italians to have been in China during the Yuan Dynasty were Franciscan missionaries, diplomatic envoys of the Vatican. We are talking about the 14th century. We are also talking about the Franciscans Odorico da Pordenone, Giovanni da Pian del Carpine [traveled to Mongolia in the 13th century] and Giovanni Marignolli,” Professor Vossilla stressed.
Praising the efforts of Catholic priests, he took Giovanni Marignolli’s example, “a Franciscan from Florence, who came to China in the second half of the 14th century,” and “is remembered by Chinese literature and by Chinese painters.” Therefore, “he’s a very famous character.” Taking into account this reality, Professor Vossilla said, “we can identify some of these diplomatic efforts even before the time of the Jesuits.”
Dominican Vittorio Ricci (1621-1685), Jesuits Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) and Ferdinando B. Moggi (1684-1761) were also among many Catholic priests who travelled on the Silk Road.
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