Matteo Ricci

Matteo Ricci is The Memory Palace's main character and the main object of study. The entire book covers the missionary efforts of the late 16th century Jesuit priest, Matteo Ricci to convert the Chinese people to Christianity. Matteo Ricci is born in Macerata, Italy on October 6th, 1552 within the "papal domain" or the Papal States in what is today Italy. In 1561 he begins his education at a Jesuit school and in 1568 he leaves for Rome to study law. On August 15th, 1571, he joins the new Catholic order, The Society of Jesus and becomes a Jesuit, after which he studies at a Jesuit college in Florence and then in Rome. During this time, the Jesuit Order is young and it is encouraging its priests to travel across the world and convert the peoples of earth to Catholicism. So Ricci decides to become a missionary and sails to Macao...