GIOVANNI DA PIAN DEL CARPINE. – Franciscan, missionary; born toward the end of the 12th century at Pian del Carpine (Perugia), he donned the Franciscan habit. The first information we have about him dates from 1221, when he was sent by St Francis to Germany with the second expedition of Friars Minor, for which he prepared the way (cf. Giordano da Giano, Cronica, in Anal. Franc., I, 9).
In 1222 he was elected custodian of Saxony, founding convents in various German cities (Hildesheim, Albertstadt, Magdeburg, etc.); in 1228 he became provincial minister of Teutonia and in 1230, while travelling to the General Chapter of Assisi, founded the convent of Metz. The General Chapter entrusted him with the government of the friars in Spain. In 1233 he returned to the government of Saxony, remaining there for six years and extending the Order into Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland. No information is available about him between 1239 and 1245. But in the latter year Innocent IV sent him as his legate to the Tartars, and he completed his mission in sixteen months; on his return he remained for three months with the Supreme Pontiff. After this he was sent as ambassador to Louis IX of France, because he had postponed the expedition to the Holy Land. Elected bishop of Antivari (the year is not known precisely), in 1248 he was occupying his see amid conflicts and difficulties that lasted until his death, which occurred on 1 August 1252.
The fruit of his legation to the Tartars is his Historia Mongolorum, which, in addition to four introductory chapters dealing with the geography, usages, customs, and religion of the Tartars, contains a rapid historical synthesis of the growth of the Empire, as well as a detailed description of their army and methods of combat, vividly portraying their cruelties in order to encourage Westerners to arm themselves and unite against so powerful and dangerous an enemy. This is the purpose of the report. In a second version he added further chapters with more detailed personal references. The report possesses very great historical and ethnographic value; it was published several times and was also translated into various languages. The most recent and best edition is that edited by Fr. A. van den Wyngaert, in Sinica Franciscana, I, pp. 27–130.