Works

Cultured and full of charisma Matteo Ricci wrote in Chinese language many critical treatises and translated Western culture books as the first six volumes of Elements of Euclid and the Handbook of Epictetus. In 1584 he wrote a short Catechism, first book printed by foregins in China. To this year is also the production of the great Map of World in Chinese, the sixth edition of which in 1608 was wanted to the emperor.

In this map are represented continents and islands until then discovered, reporting, with Chinese line, notations of historical news near the main localities. He wrote the first sinology work of the history: a Portuguese-Chinese dictionary.

In 1595 He wrote the Treatise on Friendship and   in 1607 translated and printed Ten Paradoxes that liked very much and increase the esteem of western literates considered barbarous until then; in 1603 was written and printed the True Notion of Lord of Heaven in which Ricci proves the immortality of soul and confutes pantheistic monotheism and   metempsychosis that were wide spread among Chinese literates.

Fundamentals are also texts written for westerns as Letters and Della entrata della Compagnia di Giesù e Christianità nella Cina.