In search of the Capuchins of the Marche Region living in Tibet during the 18° century
The historical researches into Capuchin mission in Tibet
(1704-1745) started thanks to
Mr
Luciano Petech's activity, pupil and follower of the
Professor G.Turci and expert and historian of Tibetan institution of that
period.
His work entitled I missionari italiani nel Tibet e nel Nepal (Italian missionaries in Tibet and Nepal) 1952-1956, was published in 7 volumes consisting of a large collection of letters, reports and documents that you can find at "Archivio Storico di Propaganda" in Rome.
The entire documentation was transcribed, translated, commented and corrected where necessary basing on the originary Tibetan sources.
Petech's attention concentrated on historic aspects, geographic and ethnologic, but not on those of the mission, even if it is the real purpose and the most important concept in Capuchin's life.
The work seems exhaustive and our research has been concluded if we don't consider the Brother Fulgenzio Vannini's report entitled "The bell of Lhasa" (1976) and also the studies carried out from Ippolito Desideri, a Jesuit who lived some years in Tibet with the Capuchins.
My first contact with Capuchin friars' life and Horace from Pennabilli, who is the most important personality, started in a very unusual way exactly at the end of the 80's.
The report entitled Dal Montefeltro al Tibet, inseguendo
il rintocco di una campana... (From Montefeltro to Tibet, following
the tolling of a bell...) was published on "Airone" in 1994.
In 1994 my dream became reality, also with the help of a friend of mine, who is Claudio Cardelli, which whom I share the love for Tibet. I'm talking about the Visitation of the XIV Dalai Lama to Pennabilli city. This phenomen rediscovered the famous "Horace's adventure" in Tibet.
For the occasion I personally worked on the new edition of "Breve ragguaglio del gran regno del Tibet", a report written by Brother Horace in 1738.
During that summer I organized a special exhibition of documents and historical findings that I've found in some Roman archives.
Then, my researches focused on unpublished piece of documents and findings.
I'm not a historian, I'm very keen on culture in general. I could define myself a "property man" (or a "trobadour"), who is looking for information accompanied always by a good fortune. I have a feeling that documents and information come towards me whenever I move!
Documents, events and characters have been emerged from my rambling work, but some of them are still unpublished...
Elio Marini