Martín Ignacio Martínez de Mallea, known as Martín Ignacio de Loyola (c. 1550 in Eibar, Guipuzcoa, Spain – 1606 in Buenos Aires ), was a Franciscan friar, best known for his two travels around the world in 1580–1584 and 1585–1589, being the first person to complete the world circumnavigation twice in different directions, and for his missionary effort in China. He was a grandnephew of Ignatius of Loyola, and was ordained a priest in Alaejos in 1572.

Circumnavigations of the world

In both of his travels Loyola took advantage of Spain and Portugal being united under the crown of Philip II of Spain.

First circumnavigation: 1582–1584

Loyola's first circumnavigation was made in a westerly direction. Departing Cadiz on 21 June 1582, he sailed to the Canary Islands, crossed the Atlantic to La Désirade, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo, before arriving in San Juan de Lúa (modern Veracruz), in México. After crossing to the Pacific Ocean coast of Mexico at Acapulco he sailed to the Mariana Islands, and the Philippines, before eventually reaching the Empire of China, where he landed in Fujian province. There he and his companions were considered to be spies and were sent to Guangzhou. After a year they were set free and sent to Macau. After travelling on to Japan, he returned to Lisbon via the Straits of Malacca, Portuguese India, the Cape of Good Hope and Saint Helena. Loyola's account of his first journey around the world was first published in Rome in 1585, included in Juan González de Mendoza's Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reyno dela China.

Second circumnavigation: 1585–1589

Loyola's second circumnavigation was made in an easterly direction. It is not clear how or when Loyola made his eastward journey to China. In 1587 he left Macau, China, and crossed the Pacific Ocean to Acapulco, Mexico, in a ship commanded by Pedro de Unamuno. From there he crossed Mexico to Veracruz, and then crossed the Atlantic to Spain.

Other journeys

In 1595, six years after his second return to Spain, he went to Paraguay, that he reached via Panama, Peru, and Chile – whose Spanish governor by then, Martín García de Loyola, was his cousin – and Río de la Plata. He went back to Spain again in 1600 and returned to Paraguay in 1603, this time as Bishop of Asunción. He had been consecrated as such in Valladolid by Juan Bautista Acevedo Muñoz, Bishop of Valladolid, the year before.

External links and additional sources