Alessandro Valignano, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Alessandro Valignano

Italian Jesuit missionary

Date of Birth: 15-Feb-1539

Place of Birth: Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy

Date of Death: 20-Jan-1606

Profession: writer, missionary

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Alessandro Valignano (Chinese: ??? Fàn Li’an) (February 1539 – January 20, 1606) was an Italian Jesuit missionary born in Chieti, part of the Kingdom of Naples, who helped supervise the introduction of Catholicism to the Far East, and especially to Japan. Valignano joined the Society of Jesus in 1566, and was sent to East Asia in 1573.
The nomination of a Neapolitan to supervise Portugal-dominated Asia was at the time quite controversial, and his nationality, as well as his adaptationist and expansionist policies, led to many conflicts with mission personnel.