Marco Polo

Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant and traveler who became famous for his account of journeys through Asia in the late 13th century. He was born in Venice around 1254 into a family involved in long-distance trade. In 1271, when he was still a teenager, he traveled east with his father, Niccolò, and his uncle, Maffeo.

The journey took them through regions of the Middle East and Central Asia before they reached the territories ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China. Marco Polo later claimed that he spent many years in the Mongol Empire and served the khan in various roles. His descriptions include information about cities, trade, customs, government and routes across Asia.

Around 1295, Marco Polo returned to Venice after many years away. He later took part in a conflict between Venice and Genoa and was captured and imprisoned in Genoa. While in prison, he dictated an account of his travels to Rustichello of Pisa, a writer who helped shape the work now known as The Travels of Marco Polo.

The book became widely known in Europe and contributed to European interest in Asia, although some details of Polo’s account have been questioned by historians. There is no solid evidence that he was the first European to reach China, nor that he personally introduced knowledge of Asia to Europe. His importance lies in the detailed picture his account offered of the peoples, economies and landscapes he said he had encountered. Marco Polo died in Venice in 1324.