Born in Lodi, Lombardy, he served initially as missionary at La Purísima (1730–1732) and San Ignacio (1732-1733), among the Cochimí.
[2][3] In a relatively detailed account of the islanders' aboriginal lifeways, Taraval presented what were perhaps the earliest speculations concerning the region's prehistoric past.
[4] In 1733 he was sent south to found the Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas at the modern site of Todos Santos.
The following year, the local Pericú and Guaycura Indians staged a serious revolt against Jesuit rule, and Taraval was forced to flee, first to La Paz[5] and then to Isla Espíritu Santo.
[6][7] Subsequently, Taraval later served at the southern missions of San José del Cabo (1736–1746) and Santiago (1747–1750).