He is best known for his emblem book Il Mondo simbolico, printed in Milan in 1653, which enjoyed great success in Italy and throughout Europe.

[4] Once ordained a priest, he devoted himself to teaching in the colleges of his order; he also acquired a considerable reputation as a preacher.

Picinelli's work is the culmination of a life-time's erudition, drawing on many Renaissance emblem books and medieval encyclopedias and bestiaries.

[8] It was intended for "orators, preachers, academicians, and poets," and contained many examples drawn from the works of his predecessors, particularly Alciato and Valeriano.

[11] The comprehensiveness of Picinelli's work made it a model for subsequent scholars, including Claude-François Ménestrier, Johannes Michael von der Ketten, Arthur Henkel and Albrecht Schöne.