Life Giovanni de' Marignolli

1 life

1.1 life
1.2 departure
1.3 in china
1.4 return
1.5 later life

life
early life

giovanni born, before 1290, noble florentine family of marignolli. family long extinct, via de cerretani, street near cathedral, formerly bore name. giovanni received habit @ franciscan basilica of santa croce @ young age. work claims later held chair of theology @ university of bologna.

departure

in 1338 there arrived @ avignon, pope benedict xii held court, embassy great khan of cathay (the mongol emperor of chinese yuan dynasty), bearing letters pontiff khan himself, , christian nobles of alan race in service. these latter represented had been 8 years (since monte corvino s death) without spiritual guide, , earnestly desired one. pope replied letters , appointed 4 ecclesiastics legates khan s court. name john of florence appears third on letters of commission. large party associated 4 chief envoys: when in khanbaliq (within modern beijing), embassy still numbered thirty-two out of original fifty. mission left avignon in december 1338; picked tatar envoys @ naples on 10 february 1339; , arrived @ pera near constantinople on may 1. while there, byzantine emperor andronicus iii pled in vain reconciliation , alliance western church. leaving june 24, sailed across black sea caffa on crimea, whence travelled court of Özbeg, khan of golden horde, @ sarai on volga. khan entertained them hospitably during winter of 1339–-40 , sent them escort across steppes almaliq (within modern yining), northern seat of house of chaghatai. there, says marignolli, built church, bought piece of ground... sung masses, , baptized several persons, notwithstanding year before bishop , 6 other minor friars had there undergone glorious martyrdom christ s salvation.

in china

quitting almaliq in winter of 1341, crossed gobi desert way of kumul (within modern hami), reaching khanbaliq in may or june 1342. received toghon temür, last emperor of yuan dynasty in china. entry in chinese annals fixes year of marignolli s presentation mention of arrival of great horses kingdom of folang (i.e., farang or franks), 1 of 11 feet 6 inches in length, , 6 feet 8 inches high , black over. marignolli stayed @ khanbaliq 3 or 4 years, after travelled through southern , eastern china quanzhou or xiamen, quitting china apparently in december 1347. had been impressed christian community in china, imperial support, , chinese culture.

return

he reached columbum (kaulam or quilon in malabar) in easter week of 1348. @ place found church of latin communion, founded jordanus of severac, had been appointed bishop of columbum (diocese of quilon) pope john xxii in 1330. here marignolli remained sixteen months, after proceeded on seems wandering voyage. first visited shrine of st thomas near modern madras, , proceeded calls kingdom of saba, , identifies sheba of scripture, seems various particulars have been java. taking ship again malabar on way europe, encountered great storms. found shelter in little port of pervily or pervilis (beruwala or berberyn) in south-west of ceylon; here legate fell hands of tyrant coya jaan (khoja jahan), eunuch , accursed saracen, professed treat him deference detained him 4 months , plundered gifts , eastern rarities carrying home. detention in ceylon enabled marignolli give variety of curious particulars regarding buddhist monasticism, aboriginal races of ceylon, , other marvels. locals claimed seyllan (adam s peak) 40 miles paradise, unable explore area. after have fragmentary notices, showing route europe lay ormuz, ruins of babel, bagdad, mosul, aleppo , thence damascus , jerusalem. in 1353, arrived @ naples, whence visited florence before returning avignon end of year. there, delivered letter great khan pope innocent vi.

later life

in following year emperor charles iv, on visit italy, made marignolli 1 of chaplains. after, in march 1354, pope made him bishop of bisignano seems have been in no hurry reside there. appears have accompanied emperor prague in 1354-1355; in 1356 found acting envoy pope florence; , in 1357 @ bologna. year, emperor called him councillor , court historian. @ behest, marignolli compiled annals of bohemia.

we not know when died. last trace of marignolli letter addressed him, found in 18th century among records in chapter library @ prague. writer unnamed archbishop of armagh, identified richard fitz ralph, strenuous foe of franciscans, had broken lances in controversy ockham , burley. letter implies intention had been intimated avignon of sending marignolli ireland in connexion matters in debate—a project stirs fitz ralph s wrath.