RICCI, MATTEO

born Oct. 6, 1552, Macerata, Papal States died May 11, 1610, China WadeGiles romanization Li Ma-tou, Pinyin Li Madou Italian Jesuit missionary who introduced Christian teaching to the Chinese Empire in the 16th century. He lived there for nearly 30 years and was a pioneer in the attempt at mutual comprehension between China and the West. By adopting the language and culture of the country, he gained entrance to the interior of China, which was normally closed to foreigners. Additional reading Vincent Cronin, The Wise Man from the West (1955), a popular but authoritative account of the life of Ricci; Louis J. Gallagher (trans.), China in the Sixteenth Century: The Journals of Matthew Ricci, 15831610 (1953; trans. from Trigault's De Christiana Expeditione apud Simas Suscepta ab Societate Jesu, 1615), the standard English source, contains both Ricci's description of Ming China and his account of the history of the early Jesuit missionary activities in China; George H. Dunne, Generation of Giants: The Story of the Jesuits in China in the Last Decades of the Ming Dynasty (1962), an authoritative and sympathetic account of the Jesuits' activities in late Ming China, with an excellent bibliography on Ricci (pp. 371379); Pasquale M. D'Elia (ed.), Fonti Ricciane, 3 vol. (194249), the principal sourcebook, contains the original text of Ricci's journals and extensive commentaries; Pietro Tacchi Venturi (ed.), Opere storiche del P. Matteo Ricci, 2 vol. (191113), vol. 2 contains the letters of Ricci and his companions and is an indispensable source.