This article is about the trader and explorer. For other uses, see Marco Polo (disambiguation)

Marco Polo
16th century painting of Marco Polo
Born	September 15, 1254 (1254-09-15) disputed Venice, Italy, usually accepted
Died	on or after January 9, 1324 Venice

Marco Polo (September 15, 1254^[1] – January 9, 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325^[2]) was a Venetian trader and explorer who gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book Il Milione ("The Million" or The Travels of Marco Polo) also known as Oriente Poliano (the Orient of the Polos) known as the Description of the World. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Marco Polo ( September 15 1254 – January 9 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325 was a Venetian trader and explorer Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The Travels of Marco Polo is the usual English title of Marco Polo 's travel book nicknamed Il Milione ( The Million ^[3]

Polo, together with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China (which he called Cathay, after the Khitan) and visit the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan). The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" and an alternative name for China in English The Khitan (or Khitai,) were a Nomadic people, located in Mongolia and modern Manchuria (Northeast China from the 4th century dominating much of it For other titles related to and uses of Khan, see that article Origin The title The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire Early years Kublai Khan studied Chinese culture and became enamoured of it Genghis Khan ( or;, Chinggis Khaan, ʧiŋgɪs χaːŋ Činggis Qaɣan; 1162–1227 born (meaning "ironworker" was the Mongol founder

Voyage of Niccolò and Maffeo Polo

Niccolò and Maffeo Polo leaving Constantinople for the east, in 1259.

The Polo name originally did not belong to a family of explorers, but to a family of traders. Marco Polo's father, Niccolò (also Nicolò in Venetian) and his uncle, Maffeo (also Maffio), were prosperous merchants who traded with the East. Venetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken by over two million people mostly in the Veneto region of Italy. Merchants function as professionals who deal with Trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves in order to produce Profit. They were partners with a third brother, named Marco il vecchio (the Elder). The three brothers were all Venetian merchants from and set up trading posts in various places outside of Venice including Constantinople , Sudak in the Crimea, and in a western part of the Mongol Empire. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Sudak or Sudaq (Sudaq Судак is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated to the west of Feodosiya (the nearest railway Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire ^[3]

In 1252, Niccolò and Maffeo left Venice for Constantinople, where they resided for several years. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS ^[4] The two brothers lived in the Venetian quarter of Constantinople, where they enjoyed political chances and tax relief because of their country's role in establishing the Latin Empire in the Fourth Crusade of 1204. Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the Jurisdiction of local law usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople (original Latin name Imperium Romaniae, " Empire of Romania " is the The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. But the family judged the political situation of the city precarious, so they decided to transfer their business northeast to Soldaia, a city in Crimea, and left Constantinople in 1259. Sudak or Sudaq (Sudaq Судак is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated to the west of Feodosiya (the nearest railway Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Their decision proved wise. Constantinople was recaptured in 1261 by Michael Palaeologus, the ruler of the Empire of Nicaea, who promptly burned the Venetian quarter. Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( Greek: Μιχαήλ Η΄ Παλαιολόγος Mikhaēl VIII Palaiologos) (1223 &ndash December 11 The Empire of Nicaea ( Greek: Βασίλειον τῆς Νίκαιας Turkish: İznik İmparatorluğu) was the largest of the Byzantine ^[5] Captured Venetian citizens were blinded,^[5] while many of those who managed to escape perished aboard overloaded refugee ships fleeing to other Venetian colonies in the Aegean Sea. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean.

As their new home on the north rim of the Black Sea, Soldaia had been frequented by Venetian traders since the 12th century. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The Mongol army sacked it in 1223, but the city had never been definitively conquered until 1239, when it became a part of the newly formed Mongol state known as the Golden Horde. This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. Searching for better profits, the Polos continued their journey to Sarai, where the court of Berke Khan, the ruler of the Golden Horde, was located. Sarai Batu ( Old Sarai, Sarai-al-Maqrus, also transcribed as Saraj or Saray) was a capital city of the Golden Horde and one of Berke Khan (Бэрх was the Khan of the Kipchak or Golden Horde who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Hordes At that time, the city of Sarai — already visited by William of Rubruck a few years earlier — was no more than a huge encampment, and the Polos stayed for about a year. William of Rubruck (c 1220 in Rubrouck Flanders - c 1293 was a Flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer Finally, they decided to avoid Crimea, because of a civil war between Berke and his cousin Hulagu or perhaps because of the bad relationship between Berke Khan and the Byzantine Empire. This article is about the founder of the Ilkhanate For the head of the Chagatai khanate please see Qara Hülëgü Hulagu Khan, also known as Instead, they moved further east to Bukhara, in modern day Uzbekistan, where the family lived and traded for three years. Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly

Nicolò and Maffeo in Bukhara, where they stayed for three years. Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky They were invited by an envoy of Hulagu (right) to travel east to visit the Great Khan Kubilai. This article is about the founder of the Ilkhanate For the head of the Chagatai khanate please see Qara Hülëgü Hulagu Khan, also known as Early years Kublai Khan studied Chinese culture and became enamoured of it

In 1264, Nicolò and Maffio joined up with an embassy sent by the Ilkhan Hulagu to his brother, the Grand Khan Kublai. The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate (Ил Хан улс Il Khan uls;) was a Mongol Khanate established in In 1266, they reached the seat of the Grand Khan in the Mongol capital Khanbaliq, present day Beijing, China. Khanbaliq or Cambuluc / Cambaluc, also Kaan-baligh ("Great residence of the Khan " is the ancient Mongol name for the city China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

In his book, Il Milione, Marco explains how Kublai Khan officially received the Polos and sent them back — with a Mongol named Koeketei as an ambassador to the Pope. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and They brought with them a letter from the Khan requesting 100 educated people to come and teach Christianity and Western customs to his people and oil from the lamp of the Holy Sepulcher. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The letter also contained the paiza, a golden tablet a foot long and three inches wide, authorizing the holder to require and obtain lodging, horses and food throughout the Great Khan's dominion. Koeketei left in the middle of the journey, leaving the Polos to travel alone to Ayas in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Ayas is a small town in Yumurtalık district, Adana Province, Turkey, located east of the mouth of the Ceyhan River. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (also known as Little Armenia, Kingdom of Lesser Armenia, Cilician Kingdom; Classical Armenian: Կիլիկիոյ From that port city, they sailed to Saint Jean d'Acre, capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This article is about the Christian kingdom For the history of the city see History of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian

Niccolo and Maffeo Polo remitting a letter from Kubilai to Pope Gregory X in 1271. Early years Kublai Khan studied Chinese culture and became enamoured of it Pope

The long sede vacante — between the death of Pope Clement IV, in 1268, and the election of Pope Gregory X, in 1271 — prevented the Polos from fulfilling Kublai’s request. Sede vacante is the vacancy of the Episcopal see of a Particular church in the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Clement IV ( Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, November 23, year ca 1195 &ndash November 29, 1268 in Viterbo) born Gui Faucoi Pope As suggested by Theobald Visconti, papal legate for the realm of Egypt, in Acre for the Ninth Crusade, the two brothers returned to Venice in 1269 or 1270, waiting for the nomination of the new Pope. The Ninth Crusade, which is sometimes grouped with the Eighth Crusade, is commonly considered to be the last major medieval Crusade to the Holy Land

Voyages of Marco Polo

Journey to Cathay and service to the Khan

The Polo family arrives in a Chinese city

As soon as he was elected in 1271, Pope Gregory X received the letter from Kublai Khan, remitted by Niccolo and Maffeo. Kublai Khan was asking for the dispatch of a hundred missionaries, and some oil from the lamp of Jerusalum. The two Polos (this time accompanied by the 17 year-old Marco Polo) returned to Mongolia, accompanied by two Dominican monks, Niccolo de Vicence and Guillaume de Tripoli. Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico Tripoli ( Lebanese Arabic: طرابلس Ṭrāblos or Ṭrēblos locally Ṭrōbles Standard Arabic: Ṭarābulus Τρίπολις Tripolis is the second-largest The two friars did not finish the voyage due to fear, but the Polos reached Kanbaliq and remitted the presents from the Pope to Kublai in 1274. ^[6]

The Tibetan monk and confidant of Kublai Khan, Drogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235-1280) mentions in his diaries for 1271 a foreign friend of Kublai Khan, who was quite possibly one of the elder Polos or even Marco Polo, although, unfortunately, no name is given. Early years Kublai Khan studied Chinese culture and became enamoured of it Drogön Chögyal Phagpa ( also written Dongon Choegyal Phakpa, Dromtön Chögyal Pagpa, etc ^[7]

The Polos spent the next 17 years in China. Kublai Khan took a liking to Marco, who was an engaging storyteller. They set him on many diplomatic missions throughout his empire. Marco carried out diplomatic assignments but also entertained the khan with interesting stories and observations about the lands he traveled.

Marco reported that apart from entrusting him with diplomatic missions, Kublai Khan also made him governor for three years of the large commercial city of Yangzhou. Administration The Prefecture-level city of Yangzhou administers 7 county-level divisions. ^[8] An Italian community would actually reside in Yangzhou throughout the 14th century, as documented by the findings of the 1342 tombstone of Katarina Vilioni. Katarina Vilioni was an Italian woman member of a trader family in Yangzhou, China, during the 14th century

Return to Europe

According to Marco’s travel account, the Polos asked several times for permission to return to Europe but the Khan appreciated the visitors so much that he would not agree to their departure.

Only in 1291 Kublai entrusted Marco with his last duty, to escort the Mongol princess Koekecin (Cocacin in Il Milione) to her betrothed, the Ilkhan Arghun. Kököchin, also Kökechin, Kokachin or Cocacin ( Ch: 阔阔真 was a 13th century Mongol princess from the Yuan dynasty Arghun Khan (c 1258 &ndash March 7, 1291 was the fourth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate, from 1284 to 1291 The party traveled by sea, departing from the southern port city of Quanzhou and sailing to Sumatra, and then to Persia, via Sri Lanka and India (where his visits included Mylapore, Madurai and Alleppey, which he nicknamed Venice of the East). "Zaytun" redirects here For the South Korean military division in Iraq see Zaytun Division. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Mylapore ( Tamil:மயிலாப்பூர் is the cultural hub, and a bustling neighborhood just south of Chennai (formerly Madras Madurai Alappuzha (ആലപ്പുഴ also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. Marco Polo has been described to utilise the Northern Silk Road although the possibility of a southern route has been advanced. The Northern Silk Road is a Prehistoric Trackway in northern China originating in the early capital of Xi'an and extending north of the ^[9]

In 1293 or 1294 the Polos reached the Ilkhanate, ruled by Gaykhatu after the death of Arghun, and left Koekecin with the new Ilkhan. The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate (Ил Хан улс Il Khan uls;) was a Mongol Khanate established in Gaykhatu (also spelt Gaikhatu) (? - 1295 was the fifth Ilkhanate ruler in Iran. Then they moved to Trebizond and from that city sailed to Venice. Trabzon ( Greek: Τραπεζούντα, Trapezounta) is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Koekecin would become the principal wife of the Mongol Il-Khan ruler Ghazan. Mahmud Ghazan or Qazaan the Khan of the Tartars (original Mongol name Ghazan Khan, Ch合贊 b

In terms of the legacy of Marco Polo's travel to China, it was noteworthy as one of the first European visitors to travel to the East; considerable exposure of China's culture to the European continent resulted. The trip also showed Europeans the value of the Silk Road in negotiating this travel; however, even though this trackway was used since the first millennium BC, the use of the Silk Road actually declined markedly within about 150 years after Marco Polo's expedition, due to the opening of sea routes. The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the A trackway is an ancient route of travel for people and/or animals The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the ^[10]

Il Milione

A page from a manuscript of Il Milione

Main article: The Travels of Marco Polo

On their return from China in 1295, the family settled in Venice where they became a sensation and attracted crowds of listeners who had difficulties believing their reports of distant China. The Travels of Marco Polo is the usual English title of Marco Polo 's travel book nicknamed Il Milione ( The Million According to a late tradition, since they did not believe him, Marco Polo invited them all to dinner one night during which the Polos dressed in the simple clothes of a peasant in China. Shortly before the crowds ate, the Polos opened their pockets to reveal hundreds of rubies and other jewels which they had received in Asia. Though they were much impressed, the people of Venice still doubted the Polos.

Marco Polo was later captured in a minor clash of the war between Venice and Genoa, or in the naval battle of Curzola, according to a dubious tradition. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English The naval Battle of Curzola was fought on September 9, 1298 between the fleets of Genoa and Venice. He spent the few months of his imprisonment, in 1298, dictating to a fellow prisoner, Rustichello da Pisa, a detailed account of his travels in the then-unknown parts of China. Rustichello da Pisa (fl late 13th century was an Italian romance writer best known for cowriting Marco Polo 's autobiography while they were in prison

His book, Il Milione (the title comes from either "The Million", then considered an extremely large number, or from Polo's family nickname Emilione), was written in Old French, a language Polo did not speak, and entitled Le divisament dou monde ("The description of the world"). Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium The book was soon translated into many European languages and is known in English as The Travels of Marco Polo. The Travels of Marco Polo is the usual English title of Marco Polo 's travel book nicknamed Il Milione ( The Million The original is lost and there are now several often-conflicting versions of the translations. The book became an instant success — quite an achievement at a time when the invention of the printing press was two hundred years away in Europe.

Later life

Map of the journey

Marco Polo was finally released from captivity in the summer of 1299, and he returned home to Venice, where his father and uncles had bought a large house in the central quarter named contrada San Giovanni Crisostomo with the company's profits. This article refers to the Christian saint For other uses of the name see Chrysostomos.

The company continued its activities, and Marco was now a wealthy merchant. While he personally financed other expeditions, he would never leave Venice again. In 1300, he married Donata Badoer, a woman from an old, respected patrician family. Marco would have three children with her: Fantina, Bellela and Moreta. All of them later married into noble families.

Between 1310 and 1320, he wrote a new version of his book, Il Milione, in Italian. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The text was lost, but not before a Franciscan friar, named Francesco Pipino, translated it into Latin. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. This Latin version was then translated back into the Italian, creating conflicts between different editions of the book.

Marco Polo died in his home on January 1324, at almost 70 years old. He was buried in the Church of San Lorenzo.

Historical and cultural impact

Handwritten notes by Christopher Colombus on the Latin edition of Marco Polo's Le livre des merveilles. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer

Statue of Marco Polo in Hangzhou, China, near the West Lake

Although the Polos were by no means the first Europeans to reach China overland (see, for example, Giovanni da Pian del Carpine), thanks to Marco's book their trip was the first to be widely known, and the best-documented until then. ( Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a Sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, or John of Plano Carpini or John of Pian de Carpine or Joannes de Plano (c Marco Polo's description of the Far East and its riches inspired Christopher Columbus' decision to try to reach those lands by a western route. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer A heavily annotated copy of Polo's book was among the belongings of Columbus. ^[11]

The name Marco Polo was also given to a children's game (Marco Polo), a story in the science fiction series Doctor Who (Marco Polo) and a three-masted clipper ship built in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1851. The Game of Marco Polo is a form of tag, often played in a Swimming pool. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Marco Polo is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 7 weekly A clipper was a very fast Sailing ship of the 19th century that had multiple masts and a Square rig. The fastest ship of her day, Marco Polo was the first ship to sail around the world in under six months. The Marco Polo was a 3-masted wooden Clipper ship, launched in 1851 at Saint John, New Brunswick. Several ships of the Italian navy were named Marco Polo. The airport in Venice is named Marco Polo International Airport. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Venice Marco Polo Airport is an Airport located on the Italian mainland near Venice, Italy, in Tessera a Frazione of the See also the Marcopolo satellites. Marcopolo or Marco Polo 1 and 2 were two satellites designed launched and tested by Hughes Space and Communications (now part of Boeing Satellite

The travels of Marco Polo are given an extended fantasy treatment in the Irish writer Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne's Messer Marco Polo, and in Gary Jennings' 1984 novel The Journeyer. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Irish novelist Donn Byrne was born Brian Oswald Patrick Donn-Byrne in New York on the 20 November 1889 Gary Jennings ( September 20 1928 &ndash February 13 1999) was a U The Journeyer is a Historical novel about Marco Polo, written by Gary Jennings and first published in 1984. He also appears as the pivotal character in Italo Calvino's novel Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino ( October 15, 1923 &ndash September 19, 1985) (ˈiːtalo kalˈviːno was an Italian journalist and writer of short Invisible Cities ( Le città invisibili) is a Novel by Italian writer Italo Calvino.

Marco Polo also inspired the creation of Marco Volo, a character in the role-playing game Forgotten Realms. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. The Forgotten Realms is a Campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D Fantasy Role-playing game, created by

In 1982, Giuliano Montaldo directed an ambitious television miniseries, simply titled "Marco Polo". Giuliano Montaldo (born February 22, 1930 in Genoa) is an Italian Film director. A miniseries (also mini-series) in a serial Storytelling medium is a production which tells a story in a pre-planned limited number of episodes The Italian financed project starred Ken Marshall as Marco Polo and guest-starred a handful of Academy Awards winning actors, like Denholm Elliott, F. Murray Abraham, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, John Houseman, Burt Lancaster and also Tony Lo Bianco and Leonard Nimoy. Kenneth Marshall (born on 27 June 1950 in New York City, US) is an American Actor. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Denholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE (31 May 1922 &ndash 6 October 1992 was a distinguished English Actor of stage and Screen, with Fahrid Murray Al-Ahmad Abraham ( Arabic: ﻱﻴﺵ ﺞﺜﺙ ﻙﻘﭪ ﭐﭖﺏ (born October 24 1939) is an Academy Award -winning American Anne Bancroft ( September 17 1931 – June 6 2005) was an American method Actress. Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH ( 14 April, 1904 – 21 May 2000) known as Sir John Gielgud, was an John Houseman ( September 22, 1902 — October 31, 1988) was an Oscar -winning American Actor Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique Tony Lo Bianco (born October 19, 1936) is an American Actor in Films and Television. Leonard Simon Nimoy (born March 26, 1931) is an American Actor, Film director, Poet, Musician and The music was scored by the famous Italian music composer Ennio Morricone. Ennio Morricone OMRI (born November 10, 1928) is an acclaimed Italian Academy Award -winning composer The miniseries won 2 Emmy Awards and was nominated for 6 more.

Marco Polo sheep is named for the explorer, who described the species during his crossing of Pamir (ancient Mount Imeon) in 1271. Marco Polo sheep ( Ovis ammon polii) is a subspecies of sheep, specifically of Argali, that takes its name from famed explorer Marco Polo Mount Imeon is an ancient name for the Central Asian complex of mountain ranges comprising the present Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tian Shan, extending ^[12].

Cartography

The Fra Mauro map. The Fra Mauro map, "considered the greatest memorial of medieval cartography" according to Roberto Almagià is a map made around 1450 by the Venetian monk

Marco Polo's travels may have had some impact on the development of European cartography, ultimately leading to the European voyages of exploration a century later. The Age of Discovery or Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans explored The 1453 Fra Mauro map is said by Ramusio to have been an improved copy of the one brought from Cathay by Marco Polo:

"That fine illuminated world map on parchment, which can still be seen in a large cabinet alongside the choir of their monastery (The Calmoldese monastery of Santo Michele on Murano) was by one of the brothers of the monastery, who took great delight in the study of cosmography, diligently drawn and copied from a most beautiful and very old nautical map and a world map that had been brought from Cathay by the most honourable Messer Marco Polo and his father. The Fra Mauro map, "considered the greatest memorial of medieval cartography" according to Roberto Almagià is a map made around 1450 by the Venetian monk The noble Italian family of Ramusio (also spelled Ramusiothe, Ramnusio, Rhamnusio, Rannusio) was worth of note for literary and official Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" and an alternative name for China in English Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin. Cosmography is the science that Maps the general features of the Universe; describes both Heaven and Earth (but without encroaching on A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent Coastal regions Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" and an alternative name for China in English " Ramusio v. 3. ^[13]

Controversies

See also: Birthplace of Marco Polo

Croatia claims to host the real birthplace of Marco Polo on the island of Korčula (the Venetian "Curzola"), in the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic island of Korčula ( Croatia), the former Venetian Curzola, is considered by some historians to host the birthplace of the famous Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between The Adriatic island of Korčula ( Croatia), the former Venetian Curzola, is considered by some historians to host the birthplace of the famous Korčula ( Greek Κορκυρα Μελαινα Latin Corcyra Nigra, Korkyra Melaina, Old-Slavic Krkar, Venetian The claim is controversial, since most literature usually connected him to Venice in the past. However, since no original document is known to record his birthplace, Venice as his birthplace is somewhat controversial as well.

Some modern historians question the veracity of Marco Polo's account, and wonder whether he really visited the Mongol empire, or whether Marco Polo was simply repeating stories that he had heard from other traders. Dr. John Critchley has pointed out that Marco Polo's stories tend to give more information about minds of Western Europeans than those in Asia. Doctor Frances Wood has questioned whether or not Marco Polo was even in China, and has pointed out several things that a European traveler probably would have mentioned, but did not, and that there is no mention of Marco Polo in Chinese accounts of the period. ^[14] Dr. Peter Jackson argues that there are several different versions of Polo's book, and questions whether it even represents Polo's account at all, but was instead simply written by a romance writer of the time. Peter Jackson is a scholar and historian specializing on the Crusades, particularly the contacts between the Europeans and the Mongols. Questions have also been raised as to whether Marco Polo, if he did visit China, was genuinely an ambassador, or if he was simply one of the many travelers at the time who claimed to be an ambassador. ^[15]

See also

• Europeans in Medieval China
• Friar Julian
• Radhanites
• Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
• William of Rubruck
• Hetoum I of Armenia (1254-1255)
• Odoric of Pordenone
• Rabban Bar Sauma (A Turco-Mongol who visited Europe in the 1280s)
• Ibn Battuta
• Sino-Roman relations
• Foreign relations of Imperial China
• Exploration of Asia
• Central Asia
• Crusade
• Trade routes
• Republic of Venice
• Middle Age
• Mongol Empire
• Mongol invasions
• Mount Imeon
• Afanasy Nikitin
• Niccolo da Conti

Notes

References

• Bergreen, Laurence, Marco Polo, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4000-4345-3
• Hart, Henry H. , Marco Polo, Venetian Adventurer, University of Oklahoma Press, 1967
• Larner, John, Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World, Yale University Press, 1999
• Wood, Frances, Did Marco Polo Go to China?, Westview Press, 1995
• Yule, Henry (Ed. The University of Oklahoma Press is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. Yale University Press is a book Publisher founded in 1908. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remained ), The Travels of Marco Polo, Dover Publications, New York, 1983 [new edition of: London, 1870]

External links

• Marco Polo at the Open Directory Project
• Polo's travels
• F. Wood's "Did Marco Polo Go To China?" - A critical analysis of this theory by Dr Igor de Rachewiltz of the Australian National University
• Works by Marco Polo at Project Gutenberg
•   "Marco Polo". The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a public Research university situated in Canberra, Australia. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.