Global InformationMarco Polo information
Marco Polo | |
|---|---|
 Polo wearing a Tartar outfit, print from the 18th century | |
| Born | 1254 Venice, Republic of Venice |
| Died | 8 January 1324 (aged 69–70) Venice, Republic of Venice |
| Resting place | Church of San Lorenzo 45°26′14″N 12°20′44″E / 45.4373°N 12.3455°E |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, explorer, writer |
| Known for | The Travels of Marco Polo |
| Spouse |
Donata Badoer (m. 1300–1324) |
| Children | Agnese Polo (ill.) Fantina Polo Belella Polo Moreta Polo |
| Parent |
|
Marco Polo (/ˈmɑːrkoʊ ˈpoʊloʊ/ ⓘ, Venetian: [ˈmaɾko ˈpolo], Italian: [ˈmarko ˈpɔːlo] ⓘ; c. 1254 – 8 January 1324)[1] was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295.[2][3] His travels are recorded in The Travels of Marco Polo (also known as Book of the Marvels of the World and Il Milione, c. 1300), a book that described to Europeans the then-mysterious culture and inner workings of the Eastern world, including the wealth and great size of the Mongol Empire and China under the Yuan dynasty, giving their first comprehensive look into China, Persia, India, Japan, and other locations throughout Asia.[4]
Born in Venice, Marco learned the mercantile trade from his father and his uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, who travelled through Asia and met Kublai Khan. In 1269, they returned to Venice to meet Marco for the first time. The three of them embarked on an epic journey to Asia, exploring many places along the Silk Road until they reached "Cathay". They were received by the royal court of Kublai Khan, who was impressed by Marco's intelligence and humility. Marco was appointed to serve as Kublai's foreign emissary, and he was sent on many diplomatic missions throughout the empire and Southeast Asia, such as in present-day Burma, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.[5][6] As part of this appointment, Marco also travelled extensively inside China, living in the emperor's lands for 17 years and seeing many things that had previously been unknown to Europeans.[7] Around 1291, the Polos also offered to accompany the Mongol princess Kököchin to Persia; they arrived around 1293. After leaving the princess, they travelled overland to Constantinople and then to Venice, returning home after 24 years.[7] At this time, Venice was at war with Genoa; Marco was captured and imprisoned by the Genoans after joining the war effort and dictated his stories to Rustichello da Pisa, a cellmate. He was released in 1299, became a wealthy merchant, married, and had three children. He died in 1324 and was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.
Though he was not the first European to reach China, Marco Polo was the first to leave a detailed chronicle of his experience. This account of the Orient provided the Europeans with a clear picture of the East's geography and ethnic customs, and was the first Western record of porcelain, gunpowder, paper money, and some Asian plants and exotic animals.[8] His travel book inspired Christopher Columbus[9] and many other travellers. There is substantial literature based on Polo's writings; he also influenced European cartography, leading to the introduction of the Catalan Atlas and the Fra Mauro map.[10]
- ^ Bergreen 2007, pp. 340–42.
- ^ Stephen Feinstein; (2009) Marco Polo: Amazing Adventures in China (Great Explorers of the World) p. 23–24; Enslow Pub Inc, ISBN 1-59845-103-0
- ^ John H. Stubbs, Robert G. Thomson; Architectural Conservation in Asia: National Experiences and Practice p. 30; Routledge, ISBN 1-138-92610-8
- ^ Benedetto, Luigi Foscolo (1965). "Marco Polo, Il Milione". Istituto Geografico DeAgostini (in Italian).
- ^ Rongguang Zhao, Gangliu Wang, Aimee Yiran Wang. A History Of Food Culture In China. p. 94.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Christopher Kleinhenz. Routledge Revivals: Medieval Italy (2004): An Encyclopedia – Volume II, Volume 2. p. 923.
- ^ a b "Marco Polo". Worldatlas.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Robin Brown (2008). Marco Polo: Journey to the End of the Earth. Sutton.
- ^ Landström 1967, p. 27
- ^ Thomas F. Glick; Steven Livesey; Faith Wallis (2014). Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 415. ISBN 9781135459321.