Legacy
Valignano founded the St. Paul's Jesuit college in Macau. He travelled from Goa and visited Japan three times: in 1579 when he stayed three years; in 1590; and in 1598.
Valignano paved the way for a closer relationship between Asian and European peoples by advocating equal treatment of all human beings. He was a great admirer of the Japanese people and envisioned a future when Japan would be one of the leading Christian countries in the world. He famously wrote that the Japanese "excel not only all the other Oriental peoples, they surpass the Europeans as well" (Alessandro Valignano, 1584, "Historia del Principo y Progresso de la Compania de Jesus en las Indias Orientales (1542-64)").
He sent to Europe four Japanese noblemen, led by Mancio Ito. This was the first official envoy from Japan to Europe.
In total Valignano made three visits to Japan from 1579–82, 1590–92 and again from 1598-1603.
Read more about this topic: Alessandro Valignano
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“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)