Roberto de Nobili (born in Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, September 1577 - died in Mylapore, Madras (now Madras), Italy, January 16, 1656 at age 78 years) is a Catholic missionary who had worked in India.Ia derived from Italian nobility and was born in Montepulciano, Tuscany in September 1577.

At age 20 he entered the Jesuit Order. He was then sent as a missionary to India and arrived in Goa on May 2, 1605.Dalam work in India, Nobili focus to preach the Gospel to the Brahmin caste. This is because he sees the fact that most people who become Christians in India are from lower castes, while those of the Brahmin caste reluctant convert to Christianity because they do not want to mix with people of low caste. For that, he was applying the method is also used by Matteo Ricci in China, the inculturation.



Then de Nobili started inculturation with yellow robes, shaved head, wearing earrings, and do not eat meat as a Brahmin customs and living in Madurai, where the residence of the Brahmana.Ia also avoid association with those of other white people and people-people of low caste. He melayankan Holy Communion to people of low caste to use chopsticks.

He also learned to speak Tamil, Sanskrit, and Telugu languages ​​to communicate with the people of India. Because it uses this method, he received criticism and condemnation from his fellow missionaries. [1] However, after a case of de Nobili was taken to the Pope in Rome, he still allowed to use this method.


In 1645, he moved from Mandurai to Mylapore, near Madras, and lived there in poverty and the circumstances that menyedihkan.Mendekati end of his life, he experienced a worsening blindness sitiasion.Tanggal January 16, 1656 he died at Mylapore.