In the Footsteps of Martino Martini
Prospero Intorcetta’s Mission in Rome and the Role of the Procurators in a Global Context
Abstract
Intorcetta’s letters reveal the global dimension and interconnections involved in the missionary enterprise, creating a network of relationships and connections that linked the Jesuits’ missionary and economic activities in China to the European courts in order to obtain support for their apostolic work. Thanks to new documents, it is possible to see how the actions of the procurators who travelled to Rome on behalf of the Chinese mission were interconnected. This paper focuses on the missions of two procurators, Martino Martini and Prospero Intorcetta, focusing on two aspects of their work in particular related to the search for funding for the mission, namely: the search for donations and a particular episode linked to the musk trade, which demonstrate how Intorcetta’s actions were in continuity with those of Martini.
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