23/05/2024 10:30 - 12:45

HALL: FATESI - STURZO

Proponent: De Caro A., De Gruttola R.

Chair: De Caro A., De Gruttola R.

Speaker: De Caro A., De Gruttola R., Li W., Magnani A., Tosco A.

In the second half of the thirteenth century, European Franciscan Friars arrived in China, firstly as papal representatives, and later as missionaries. This marked the beginning of the Catholic presence in China and the evangelization process. The seventeenth century was a distinctive phase marked by the presence of the Jesuits first, and other Catholic religious orders later. European missionaries between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries reached even larger areas of the Chinese territory and had a more stable presence amongst different local communities. Among these European missionaries, many were Italian, and they stood up for their ideas, bringing their formation, culture, and knowledge to China. This panel welcomes interdisciplinary presentations on the missionary activities of Italians who reached China over the centuries and became pivotal intermediaries in the dialogue between Christian and Chinese cultures, providing new and insightful ways of exploring Sino-Italian contacts.