To the Eternal City of Rome: Tracing the Footsteps of the Young Envoys in the City Where Religious Art Flourishes (Lazio, Italy - Part 2) | Asahi Shimbun Digital Magazine &[and]
This article follows the footsteps of the Tenshō Embassy in Rome, detailing their awe at the religious art of the Gesù Church and their unique experience of meeting two Popes.Summary
In February 1585, the four members of the Tenshō Embassy—Mancio Ito, Miguel Chijiwa, Martino Hara, and Julian Nakaura—finally arrived in Rome, the center of the Christian world during the Counter-Reformation. They stayed at the Jesuit headquarters and visited the adjacent Gesù Church, where they were overwhelmed by the religious art. The interior featured spectacular Baroque ceiling paintings by Battistello Gaulli, such as "The Triumph of the Name of Jesus," creating an immersive, illusionary experience. The church also housed the altar of St. Francis Xavier, featuring his right hand, and the altar of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which incorporated a dramatic mechanical device called "Macchina Barocca" to reveal a statue of Loyola. The envoys also viewed paintings depicting Jesuit martyrs, including Japanese Christians, foreshadowing the harsh fate awaiting them upon their return. The embassy's main event was an audience with Pope Gregory XIII in St. Peter's Basilica. Shortly after, the Pope died, leading the young envoys to witness the papal election (Conclave) and attend the coronation of the new Pope, Sixtus V. The article concludes by mentioning the Church of Santa Maria dell'Orto, where the envoys prayed, and which now features an altar dedicated to Julian Nakaura, who was later martyred.
(Source：朝日新聞)