02/09/2005, 00.00
CHINA - ITALY
Send to a friend

The exhibit 'Matteo Ricci: Europe at the Ming Court' opens at Rome's Vittoriano Museum Complex

After Rome, the exhibit travels to Berlin and Beijing.

Rome (AsiaNews) – The Istituto Matteo Ricci, in cooperation with the Special Agency for Roman Museums (Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Romano), is presenting the exhibit Matteo Ricci: Europe at the Ming Court" at Rome's Vittoriano Museum Complex. Opening is scheduled for tomorrow February 10 at 6 pm at the Vittoriano's Ara Coeli entrance.

The exhibit was previously held in Matteo Ricci's hometown of Macerata (central Italy) in the summer of 2003, and, after Rome, will travel to Berlin (June 6 till August 27 2005) and eventually Beijing in 2006 as part of the Year of Italy in China.

The show recreates the first significant and lasting encounter between Western and Chinese civilisations as expressed in Matteo Ricci's work. Born in Macerata in 1552, the Jesuit Ricci died in Beijing in 1610 where he was known as Li Madou (his Chinese name) and Xitai (his title of Master of the Great West).

He played a crucial role in breaking down the wall of mistrust that for centuries separated the Chinese from outsiders and in introducing elements of Western civilisation into Chinese culture.

It took him a long time to do so. His journey from Macau to Beijing spans 18 years during which he set up four homes for his brethren and small communities of Christians.

He spent ten years living at the Ming court where he reached the rank of Mandarin, a top imperial bureaucrat, paid by the public purse.

After his death, the emperor honoured Ricci with his own burial place, the first time this had ever happened, a place desecrated during the Cultural Revolution but which was recently rehabilitated and opened to the public.

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Matteo Ricci exhibit opens in the Vatican
28/10/2009
Chinese Xu Guangqi next to Matteo Ricci in Macerata Cathedral
10/05/2023 11:35
International Symposium on Matteo Ricci and today’s China
26/04/2010
Xu-Ricci Institute of Dialogue opens in Shanghai
15/05/2010
Matteo Ricci maps did not put China at centre of the world
26/01/2010


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”