Riccoldo da Monte di Croce facts for kids
Riccoldo da Monte di Croce (born around 1243 in Florence, Italy; died 1320) was a special kind of monk called a Dominican friar. He was also a travel writer and a missionary, which means he traveled to teach people about Christianity. Riccoldo is well-known for his writings about Islam and for his journeys to places like Baghdad. He tried to explain and defend Christian beliefs.
Contents
Riccoldo's Life Story
Riccoldo was born in Florence, a famous city in Italy. His family name came from a small castle nearby. In 1267, he became a Dominican friar at a church called Santa Maria Novella. He taught in different places in Italy, including Pisa.
Travels as a Missionary
Around 1286 or 1287, Riccoldo was sent by the Pope to preach. He traveled to Acre (a city in what is now Israel). He went on a special trip to the Holy Land in 1288. Then, he spent many years as a missionary in western Asia.
In 1289, he arrived in Mossul (in modern-day Iraq). He tried to convince the Christian leader there to join the Catholic Church, but he was not successful. He also visited the court of Arghun, a powerful Mongol ruler. Riccoldo described Arghun as a "friend of the Christians," even though he had a bad reputation.
Challenges in Baghdad
Riccoldo later moved to Baghdad. There, he had disagreements with local Christians called Nestorians. He even preached against their beliefs in their own church!
However, the Mongol rulers allowed him to build his own church. They told him he could not preach in public. Riccoldo talked to the Nestorian leader, Yahballaha III. Yahballaha agreed that some Nestorian beliefs were incorrect. But, Yahballaha's own followers did not agree with him.
Riccoldo returned to Florence before 1302. He was given important jobs within his Dominican order. He passed away in Florence on October 31, 1320.
Riccoldo's Writings
Riccoldo wrote several important books. They shared his travel experiences and his thoughts on different religions.
His Travel Book
Riccoldo's book, called Book of Travels (or Itinerary), was written between 1288 and 1291. It was meant to be a guide for other missionaries. The book describes the places he visited in the East.
He started his journey in Syria at Acre. He traveled through Galilee to the Sea of Tiberias. He then went to Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. After leaving Palestine, he continued through Tripoli and Tortosa.
From a port called Lajazzo (in modern Turkey), he took a main road to Tabriz in northern Persia. He crossed the Taurus and went through Sivas and Erzerum. He also visited the area near Mount Ararat before reaching Tabriz. He preached in Tabriz for several months.
After Tabriz, he traveled to Baghdad. He went through Mosul and Tikrit on his way. Riccoldo stayed in Baghdad for several years. His book gives good descriptions of the Tatars (Mongols) and their customs. He also wrote about Islamic religion and traditions. Even with his own strong beliefs, he tried to understand other cultures.
Letters About Acre
Riccoldo also wrote five letters called Letters on the Fall of Acre. These letters were like sad poems about the fall of Acre in 1291. He wrote them around 1292.
He wrote about being in Baghdad, a beautiful city. But he was sad about the Christians being captured and killed. He saw the Muslims happy and successful, while Christians were suffering. He wondered why God allowed this to happen. He decided to write to God to ask for understanding. He prayed for the Christian captives to be set free.
Writings Against Islam and Judaism
While in Baghdad, Riccoldo studied the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. He also read other Islamic writings. He used this knowledge to argue about religious topics.
Around 1300, after returning to Florence, he wrote Against the Laws of the Saracens. This book became very popular among Christians. It was used to discuss and challenge Islamic beliefs. The famous reformer Martin Luther even translated it into German in 1542.
Riccoldo's book showed he knew a lot about the Qur'an. He also avoided a common mistake of his time. Many medieval Christians wrongly thought that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was teaching a Christian heresy. Riccoldo understood that Islam was a separate religion.
Riccoldo also wrote other works, including:
- Against the Errors of the Jews
- Against the Eastern Races
- Against the Saracens and Quran
- On Different Religions
He also worked on a Latin translation of the Qur'an around 1290. It is not known if he finished this project.
Images for kids
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Riccoldo da Monte di Croce and Pope Nicolas IV
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Title page of Riccoldo's work published in Seville c.1500, showing a Christian friar preaching to Muslims
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Bibliothèque nationale de France MS ar. 384, the Arabic manuscript of the Qur'an read by Riccoldo while he was writing his book Contra legem Saracenorum, with Riccoldo's annotations in Latin
