Resumen de Los franciscanos españoles en Siam de la era de Ayutthaya: la descripción de fray Marcelo de Ribadeneyra
The most important document used by Europe in the 16th century about the kingdom of Siam is the book La Historia de las islas del archipiélago, y reinos de la gran China, Malaca, Siam, Camboya y Japón published in Barcelona in the year 1601, and written by Fray Marcelo de Ribadeneyra. The history is in 6 volumes and describes lifestyle, customs, beliefs and economy of different Asian countries among which the Kingdom of Siam is founded. The history was built on the basis of the testimonies in which Ribadeneyra was taken from the other Franciscan friars who had preached in those countries, and for one reason or another reached Manila. Life of those missionaries who explored a world totally unknown was not easy. However, their testimony allowed us to publicize an exotic world as it had been in Europe, and in large measure it‘s still the Kingdom of Siam.
