Alessandro Valignano, circa 1600.

Alessandro Valignano, (Chinese: 范禮安) born in 1539 in Chieti, kingdom of Naples, was an Italian Jesuit missionary who helped supervise the introduction of Christianity to the Far East, and especially to Japan. Alessandro Valignano, 17th century. ... Alessandro Valignano, 17th century. ... Events January January 1 - Scotland adopts January 1st as being New Years Day February February 17 - Giordano Bruno burned in a stake for heresy July July 2 - Battle of Nieuwpoort: Dutch forces under Maurice of Nassau defeat Spanish forces under Archduke Albert in a battle on the coastal dunes. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ... The following is a list of monarchs of Naples and Sicily: See also: List of Counts of Apulia and Calabria Hauteville Counts of Sicily, 1071-1130 Roger I 1071-1101 Simon 1101-1105 Roger II 1105-1130 Hauteville Kings of Sicily, 1130-1198 Roger II 1130-1154 William I 1154... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... Far East is a term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ...

He joined the Society of Jesus in 1566 and was sent to the Far East in 1573. The nomination of an Italian to supervise Portugal-dominated Asia was at the time quite controversial, and was interpreted as an effort by Rome to reinforce its control on colonial activities. The Society of Jesus — also known by its Latin name Societatis Iesu or its English variant Jesuit Order — is a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope. ... Events January 7 - Pius V becomes Pope Selim II succeeds Suleiman I as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Religious rioting in the Netherlands signifies the beginning of the Eighty Years War in the Netherlands. ... Events January - articles of Warsaw Confederation signed, sanctioning religious freedom in Poland. ... Location within Italy The Roman Colosseum Rome (Italian and Latin: Roma) is the capital city of Italy and of its Latium region. ...

Valignano founded the Jesuit college in Macao. He travelled from Goa and visited Japan three times, in 1579 when he stayed three years, in 1590 and in 1598. Goa (गोवा in Devanagari) is Indias smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population after Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. ... Events March 14 - Battle of Ivry - Henry IV of France again defeats the forces of the Catholic League under the Duc de Mayenne. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ...

Valignano was a great admirer of the Japanese people and envisioned a future when Japan would be one of the leading Christian countries in the world. He famously wrote that the Japanese "excell not only all the other Oriental peoples, they surpass the Europeans as well" (Alessandro Valignano, 1584, "Historia del Principo y Progresso de la Compania de Jesus en las Indias Orientales (1542-64)" ("History of the Beginnings and Progress of the Society of Jesus in the East Indies (1542-64)").

He sent to Europe four Japanese noblemen, led by Mancio Ito, who, upon their return, became the first Japanese to be ordained Jesuit fathers, thereby initiating the constitution of a native clergy, for the first time in Asia. The first Japanese Embassy to Europe, in 1586. ...

He died in Macau in 1606.

See also

Nanban period History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Nanban period of Japanese history extends from the...