La vocazione di un eroe nel Nuovo Mondo. Il pellegrinaggio di Bartolomé Lorenzo secondo José de Acosta (1586)

This essay examines "The Pilgrimage of Bartolomé Lorenzo" (1586) by the Jesuit José de Acosta as a hybrid narrative situated between hagiography, missionary reflection, and colonial critique. Through the figure of Bartolomé Lorenzo—a lay brother portrayed as a perpetual pilgrim in the New World—the text constructs an alternative model of Christian heroism, grounded not in conquest, glory, or institutional power, but in vulnerability, humility, and the refusal of violence. Acosta’s narrative draws on the conventions of devotional literature and adventure storytelling to offer a critical portrayal of colonial society, exposing the moral failures of European institutions and the brutality of forced evangelization. At the same time, it foregrounds the ethical dignity and humanity of marginalized figures—Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, and fugitives—who emerge as bearers of caritas and moral integrity. The essay argues that Bartolomé’s peregrination functions as a counter-epic of the conquest, articulating a Jesuit vision of vocation and sanctity that challenges both colonial domination and triumphalist models of missionary success.