Jesuit Domiciles
Introduction
In 1892, Alfred Hamy, S.J. (1838–1904), published Documents pour servir à l’histoire des domiciles de la Compagnie de Jésus dans le monde entier de 1540 à 1773 (Paris: Alphonse Picard, 1892). According to Hamy, this volume aimed to “spare those who study the history of the Society of Jesus from long searches” by facilitating the identification of the geographical locations where Jesuits established or resided, from the foundation of the order in 1540 until its suppression in 1773.
To achieve this goal, the volume presented a Répertoire (Directory) grounded in the general catalog of Jesuit domiciles compiled in 1749. It included descriptions of these domiciles organized by Assistancies and Provinces, as well as an alphabetical list of Latin names for each settlement referenced in the official catalogs of 1616, 1679, 1710, and 1749. This section also provided additional details: the type of residence (indicated by a letter), the French name of the locality at that time, the corresponding Province, and, when available, the date of the first establishment or foundation. Hamy also compiled a nomenclature of all Jesuit domiciles in simple alphabetical order.
Hamy’s work offered scholars an invaluable tool for navigating the often ambiguous and puzzling task of deciphering the geographic network of Jesuit settlements. This network operated through correspondence and documentation in Latin, where toponyms were frequently Latinized, creating significant challenges in identifying localities. By providing French translations or identifications for such places, Hamy simplified the process of understanding the actual or modern names of these locations. For instance, it requires either expert knowledge or local familiarity to recognize that Biturgensis refers to Sansepolcro in the Umbria region of Italy. Drawing on a wide array of sources, Hamy resolved many such issues, rendering his volume an indispensable resource, even if some challenges persist for contemporary researchers.
One major risk was presented by the sheer scale of Hamy’s task: identifying more than 1,600 entries was a monumental undertaking and not immune to errors. Ambiguities in the original Latin spellings often posed difficulties, as did the recurrence of similar toponyms in the same region. Additionally, errors occasionally arose in the French translations of these Latin names, including misspellings and misidentifications. Despite these reservations, Hamy’s Répertoire remains an extraordinary Latin atlas of Jesuit geography in the early modern period. This enduring utility prompted us to use it as the foundation for constructing a database.
The Database
This database is based on the transcription of Hamy’s toponyms. It catalogs Jesuit 1600+ domiciles by detailing the type of settlement (e.g., college, residence, mission, professed house), their Latin toponymic qualifier (Hamy typically uses the adjectival form rather than the nominative case; for instance, Romanus instead of Roma), and their French equivalent as recorded by Hamy. In addition, the database provides the current name of each location (usually city/town and country) and its geolocalization, which users can explore either as raw data or through visualized maps.
Methodological Notes
Several methodological considerations are necessary. First, the geolocalizations provided are at the level of the locality rather than pinpointing the precise site of a building. A historically dynamic representation of exact locations within a city or village—tracking movements over time—falls outside the scope of this project. While such precision could be achieved in the future, it would require a significantly greater effort than what is currently feasible. We remain hopeful that, with the collaboration of researchers and experts, the database may evolve toward this level of detail.
Second, Hamy’s work alone was not always sufficient for identifying current locations. To supplement his findings, we consulted annual Jesuit catalogs, an extensive bibliography of local histories of Jesuit settlements, and the expertise of numerous collaborators (acknowledged in the “About” section). Together, these resources have enabled us to confidently determine the toponyms included in this database.
Additional Sources
Soto Artuñedo, Wenceslao. “Fuentes Documentales en los Archivos de las Órdenes Religiosas para el estudio de América: Los Jesuitas.” In Memoria Ecclesiae Xliii América Y Archivos De La Iglesia. Fuentes Para El Estudio Santoral Hispano-Mozárabe En Las Diócesis De España. Actas del XXXI Congreso de la Asociación de Archiveros de la Iglesia en España Plasencia, 16-20 de septiembre de 2019 (Madrid: Asociación de Archiveros de la Iglesia en España, 2021), 77–137.
Project Team
Project Editors: Cristiano Casalini and Katherine Kimball (Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, Boston College)
Development and Visualization: Alessandro Corsi (Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, Boston College)
Collaborators: Juan Dejo, S.J. (Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, Lima, Peru), Marina Massimi (Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil), René B. Javellana, S.J. (Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, Philippines), Wenceslao Soto S.J. (Institutum Historicum Societatis Iesu, Rome, Italy), Michał Nowakowski (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland), Zsófia Kádár (University of Vienna), Mark Mir (Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History, Boston College)