Álvaro Semedo

Álvaro de Semedo (Latinized form: Alvarus de Semedo; , Zeng Dezhao, earlier 謝務祿 Xie Wulu) (1585 or 1586 – 18 July 1658), was a Portuguese Jesuit priest and missionary in China.

Life Álvaro Semedo was born in Nisa, Portugal in 1585 or 1586. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1602, and on 29 March 1608, he left for Goa and the Far East aboard Nossa Sra. do Vencimento. He arrived in Macau in 1610, and Nanjing in 1613. Along with another Jesuit, Alfonso Vagnoni, he was imprisoned during an anti-Christian campaign in Nanjing in 1616, and then sent back to Macau, where he stayed until 1621. even as most Jesuits elsewhere in China were switching their loyalty to the recently established Qing dynasty. Once the Qing took Canton, Semedo was detained, but was freed a few months later, reportedly due to the interference of Beijing-based Johann Adam Schall von Bell. He spent the rest of his life in Guangzhou, where he died.

Works by Álvaro Semedo online The history of that great and renowned monarchy of China. Wherein all the particular provinces are accurately described: as also the dispositions, manners, learning, lawes, militia, government, and religion of the people. Together with the traffick and commodities of that countrey (English translation, 1655)