Eusebio Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, (Italian pronunciation: [/juːˈzeɪbiːoʊ frænˈsɪskoʊ ˈkiːnoʊ/] eh-oo-ZEH-byo fran-CHEE-sko KEE-no), SJ (Italian: Eusebio Francesco Chini, Spanish: Eusebio Francisco Kino, often referred to as Father Kino, was an Italian Jesuit, missionary, geographer, explorer, cartographer, mathematician and astronomer born in the Bishopric of Trent, Holy Roman Empire. For the last 24 years of his life he worked in the region then known as the Pimería Alta, modern-day Sonora in Mexico and southern Arizona in the United States. He explored the region and worked with the indigenous Native American population, including primarily the Tohono O'Odham, Sobaipuri and other Upper Piman groups. He proved that the Baja California Territory was not an island but a peninsula by leading an overland expedition there. By the time of his death he had established 24 missions and visitas (country chapels or visiting stations).