French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. Avarello, L'Œuvre italienne de Matteo Ricci. Anatomie d'une rencontre chinoise
Comparative and World Literature

Bibliographic reference: V. Avarello, L'Œuvre italienne de Matteo Ricci. Anatomie d'une rencontre chinoise, Classiques Garnier, "Perspectives comparatistes" series, 2017. EAN13: 9782812431067.

Vito Avarello, L'Œuvre italienne de Matteo Ricci. Anatomie d'une rencontre chinoise

Paris: Classiques Garnier, "Perspectives comparatistes" series, 2015.

EAN 9782812431067.

738 p.

Price 79EUR

Publisher's presentation:

A prominent figure in modern sinology, Matteo Ricci is the author of an Italian body of work that remains largely underappreciated. This book offers an interpretation of Ricci's writings as an anatomy, mysticism, and aesthetics of an encounter driven by inculturation, a new language bridging the gap toward a distant otherness.
Table of contents

Matteo Ricci remains a central figure in the history of early modern cultural exchange between Europe and China, particularly regarding the Jesuit mission and its methods of accommodation and adaptation. Scholarly interest in these encounters typically focuses on either the missionary enterprise or the linguistic and scientific exchanges that marked the late Ming dynasty. Within comparative literature and intellectual history, such works contribute to our understanding of how European travelers conceptualized distant civilizations and sought to bridge cultural and linguistic divides.

Readers interested in modern sinology, early modern intercultural contact, and Jesuit writings may find this study relevant. Vito Avarello examines Matteo Ricci, a prominent figure in modern sinology who is the author of an Italian body of work that remains largely underappreciated. The book offers an interpretation of Ricci's writings as an anatomy, mysticism, and aesthetics of an encounter driven by inculturation, a new language bridging the gap toward a distant otherness.