Martín Ignacio de Loyola
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Martín Ignacio Martínez de Mallea, known as Martín Ignacio de Loyola, (Eibar, Spain, c.1550 – Buenos Aires 1616) was a franciscan friar, best known for his two travels around the world in 1580-1584 and 1585-1589, being the first person to complete the world circumnavigation twice, and for his missionary effort in China.
He was a grandnephew of Ignatius of Loyola, and was ordained a priest in Alaejos in 1572.
Loyola's account of his first travel around the world was first published in Rome in 1586, included in Juan González de Mendoza's Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reyno de la China.
In both of his travels Loyola took advantage of Spain and Portugal being united under the crown of Philip II of Spain, and reached the Chinese main town of Guangzhou, but was eventually imprisoned and expelled, being obliged to move back to the Portuguese outpost in Macau.
In 1595, six years after his second return to Spain, he went to Paraguay, that he reached via Panama, Peru, Chile, whose Spanish governor by then, Martín García de Loyola, was his cousin, and Río de la Plata.
He went back to Spain again in 1600 and returned to Paraguay in 1603, this time as bishop of Asunción. He had being consecrated as such in Valladolid the year before.
Taking in account his two world circumnavigations and his two trips from Europe to South America, Loyola was probably the most widely traveled man in History up to the 17th Century.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- (Spanish) J. Ignacio Tellechea Idígoras (ed.), Martín Ignacio de Loyola. Viaje alrdedor del mundo, Madrid, 1989. ISBN 84-7679-154-2
- (Spanish) Iglesia en el Paraguay, Período de 1547 a 1620.
