The First Italian Indipetae. Jesuit Petitions for the Indies (1557-80)

The "litterae indipetae" (from Latin, "Indias petere") are the petitions of Jesuits who asked to be assigned to foreign missions. Scholars have recently delved into the nearly 16000 "indipetae" written between 1581 (the beginning of Claudio Acquaviva's generalate) and 1773 (the date of the Society of Jesus's suppression) but scant attention has been given to the "first" exemplars. The volume tells the story of 91 petitions, composed under the three generalates, following the death of Ignatius of Loyola. The annotated transcriptions of original texts are displayed alongside their English translations to allow readers to relive the fervor and dreams of early Jesuits.