Books

The Jesuitana Collection contains more than 2,500 volumes published by or about the Jesuits prior to the order’s suppression in 1773. It documents the significant contributions of Jesuits to a wide range of disciplines in the early modern period, including in the fields of mathematics, science, history, travel, philosophy and Biblical exegesis. Here are 13 important books from the collection. All of them deal with east-west cultural exchange.

A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary Around 1738, Emmanuel Bowen (cartographer for George II and Louis XV, 1714-1767) translated this work into English from the original French.	Atlas The French cartographer Jean-Baptiste D’Anville (1697-1792) never left Paris but created beautiful maps of the world, often drawing on the works of Jesuits.	China Illustrata Although based at the Roman College, Kircher used missionary writings to compile this work about China’s geography, flora and fauna.	Confucius Sinarum This, the work of several generations of Jesuits who translated Confucian classics into Latin, presented these to the West for the first time.
De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Jesu Often known as Ricci’s Journals, this work discusses Christian expansion into China, as narrated by the famous Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610).	Entrata nella China de’ padri della Compagnia del Gesv: doue si contengono i costumi, le leggi Ricci’s Journals were rapidly reproduced. This is the first Italian edition, translated by Antonio Sozzini in Naples in 1622.	Histoire vniverselle de la Chine The original work was written in Portuguese by the Jesuit Alvaro Semedo, and published in 1641. This French translation was published in 1667.	Imperio de la China. : I cultura evangelica en èl, por los religios de la Compañia de Iesus. Semedo reached China in 1613 and died there in 1658. Between 1640 and 1644 he visited Europe to describe the Jesuit missionary work.
Lettera annale del Giapone scritta al padre generale della Gompagnia di Giesu alli xx. di Febraio M.D.LXXXVIII. Jesuits wrote to each other constantly, both out of affection and obligation. They discussed works performed and situations observed.	Lettre du Pere Louis Le Comte, de la Compagnie de Jesus, a Monsigneur le Duc de Maine, sure les ceremonies de la Chine The Chinese Rites Controversy was about missionary methods. Louis Le Comte (1655-1728) wrote this letter to gain support for the Jesuits.	Sinicae historiae decas primas Martino Martini (1614-1661) helped inform Europeans about China. This history is from “the beginning of time until the birth of Christ”.	The history of Cang-Hy, the present emperour of China : pesented [sic] to the Most Christian King Jesuit histories were translated into many languages. Here Bouvet’s description of the Kangxi Emperor is attached to a report on Russia.
Voyage de Siam des peres jesuites, envoyés par le roy, aux Indes & à la Chine Louis XIV appointed as his mathematicians Guy Tachard (1648-1712) and five others and sent them to Asia. Their journey included Thailand (Siam).