Full Answer
See more
What did Marco Polo do at 17?
Marco Polo was 17 or 18 when he began his journey from Venice to the farthest reaches of the Mongol empire. Living among the emperor's dominions, with his father and uncle, as an advisor and emissary for 16 or 17 years, he returned to Venice by way of Hormuz (aboard ship) and Constantinople (overland).
Did Marco Polo marry?
Marco Polo in Venice A Genoese-Venetian peace treaty in 1299 allowed Marco Polo to return home. He probably never left Venetian territory again. The following year, he married Donata Badoer, with whom he would have three daughters.
When and how did Marco Polo die?
Death. Polo died at his home in Venice on January 8, 1324. As he lay dying, friends and fans of his book paid him visits, urging him to admit that his book was fiction. Polo wouldn't relent.
When Did Marco Polo die for kids?
Marco Polo died in January 1324 in Venice, Republic of Venice, Europe.
Who succeeded Kublai Khan?
TemürTemür, also called Öljeitü, (born 1265, China—died 1307, China), grandson and successor of the great Kublai Khan; he ruled (1295–1307) as emperor of the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (1206–1368) of China and as great khan of the Mongol Empire.
What happened to Kublai Khan?
Kublai Khan's Death and Legacy He died on February 18, 1294, at the age of 79 and was buried in the khans' secret burial site in Mongolia. Uprisings against Mongol rule would begin in earnest some 30 years later, and by 1368 the Yuan Dynasty was overthrown.
What were Marco Polo's last words?
While Marco Polo's book may be able to give us a look into what he witnessed in the many foreign places he went to. However, when he died of old age, he parted with the words, “I have not told half of what I saw.”
What is Marco Polo's real name?
Marco Polo was the full name of the Venetian merchant and traveler. His family name, 'Polo,' was very common in Venice. His father's name was Niccolo... See full answer below.
How did Marco Polo end?
Marco, Jingim and Byamba all stayed true to the Khan in the end, even though Marco let his father live after the battle against the crusaders. It was a bold move, even after Empress Chabi gave him permission to return to Italy. Byamba may be this reviewer's favorite son of the Khan.
What are 10 facts about Marco Polo?
Top 10 Facts about Marco PoloMarco Polo was not the first European to travel to Central Asia and China. ... Marco Polo's first expedition to Asia was with strangers. ... He was only a teenager when he accompanied his father and uncle to Asia. ... Marco Polo mystified some creatures he saw.More items...•
What are 5 facts about Marco Polo?
Facts About Marco PoloMarco Polo was an Italian merchant adventurer.He was born in Venice.His birthday was in 1254.The exact date of his birth has been up for debate at various times.Some people debate over the location where he was born.His father's name was Niccolo Polo.More items...
Is Marco Polo Netflix a true story?
Batsukh Otgonsereenen, who spent 10 years researching his book The History of Kublai Khan, told AFP: "From a historical standpoint 20 percent of the film was actual history and 80 percent fiction."
What was Marco Polo’s family like?
The Polos were likely shrewd, alert, and courageous; they traded with the Middle East and acquired considerable wealth and prestige. Marco Polo’s f...
What did Marco Polo do?
Marco Polo was 17 or 18 when he began his journey from Venice to the farthest reaches of the Mongol empire. Living among the emperor’s dominions, w...
Why was Marco Polo so influential?
Marco Polo’s account in Il milione opened new vistas to the European mind, and, as Western horizons expanded, Polo’s legacy grew as well. The wealt...
What were Marco Polo’s other accomplishments in Asia?
Kublai Khan sent Marco Polo on fact-finding missions to distant parts of the empire, including visits to Yunnan (and possibly Myanmar [Burma]) and...
Who was Marco Polo?
Italian explorer and merchant noted for travel to central and eastern Asia. Marco Polo. Polo wearing a Tartar outfit, print from the 18th century. Born. September 15, 1254. Venice, Republic of Venice. Died. January 8, 1324 (aged 69) Venice, Republic of Venice.
What happened to Marco Polo in 1295?
Marco Polo returned to Venice in 1295 with his fortune converted into gemstones. At this time, Venice was at war with the Republic of Genoa. Polo armed a galley equipped with a trebuchet to join the war. He was probably caught by Genoans in a skirmish in 1296, off the Anatolian coast between Adana and the Gulf of Alexandretta (and not during the battle of Curzola (September 1298), off the Dalmatian coast, a claim which is due to a later tradition (16th century) recorded by Giovanni Battista Ramusio ).
What is the book of Marco Polo called?
In fact, the Italian title of his book was Il libro di Marco Polo detto il Milione, which means "The Book of Marco Polo, nicknamed ' Milione' ".
How many daughters did Marco Polo have?
They had three daughters, Fantina (married Marco Bragadin), Bellela (married Bertuccio Querini), and Moreta. Pietro d'Abano, philosopher, doctor and astrologer. Pietro d'Abano philosopher, doctor and astrologer based in Padua, reports having spoken with Marco Polo about what he had observed in the vault of the sky during his travels.
What is Marco Polo's role in Uncharted 2?
Polo appears as a Great Explorer in the strategy video game Civilization Revolution (2008). Marco Polo's 1292 voyage from China is used as a backdrop for the plot of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009), where Nathan Drake (the protagonist) searches for the Cintamani Stone, which was from the fabled city of Shambhala.
What is the nickname of Marco Polo?
Nickname Milione. Corte Seconda del Milion is still named after the nickname of Polo, Il Milione. Marco Polo is most often mentioned in the archives of the Republic of Venice as Marco Paulo de confinio Sancti Iohannis Grisostomi, which means Marco Polo of the contrada of St John Chrysostom Church .
Where is Marco Polo buried?
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 (see Europeans in Medieval China ), Marco Polo was the first to explore some parts of Asia and to leave a detailed chronicle of his experience.
Where did Marco Polo go when he was 17?
When he was 17, Marco set off on a voyage to Asia, where he spent 24 years before returning home. He crossed a total of around 24,000 kilometers. When he finally returned, he settled in Venice, which was at that time at ware with Genoa.
What is the book that Marco Polo wrote called?
The book which thus appeared was called “Il Milione ” (The Million, sometimes called The Travels of Marco Polo).
What happened in 1324?
1324 – Death of Marco Polo. Marco Polo spent a long time in prison in Genoa, and dictated the stories from his famous journey to a colleague named Rustichello da Pisa. This day in 1324 marked the death of the famous medieval travel writer and explorer, Marco Polo.
Where was Marco Polo born?
Marco Polo was born around 1254 into a prosperous merchant family in the Italian city-state of Venice. His father, Niccolò, and his uncle Maffeo had left the year before on a long-term trading expedition. As a result, he was raised by extended relatives following his mother’s death at a young age. Niccolò and Maffeo first spent about six years in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), which had been under Latin control since the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The two brothers then went to the port city of Soldaia (now Sudak, Ukraine), where they owned a house.
How long did Marco Polo stay abroad?
Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years. Though not the first European to explore China—his father and uncle, among others, had already been there—he became famous for his travels thanks to a popular book he co-authored while languishing in a Genoese prison.
What was Marco Polo's first journey?
Marco Polo: The Early Years. Marco Polo’s Travels Along the Silk Road. Marco Polo in Venice. Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road.
What did Marco Polo describe in his travels?
With the help of notes taken during his adventures, Marco Polo reverently described Kublai Khan and his palaces, along with paper money, coal, postal service, eyeglasses and other innovations that had not yet appeared in Europe.
Where did the Polos go in the 19th century?
The friars quickly abandoned the expedition, but the Polos continued on, possibly by camel, to the Persian port city of Hormuz. Failing to find any boats to their liking, they instead took a series of overland traders’ routes that, in the 19th century, would become known as the Silk Road.
Where did the Polos go to?
The Polos, meanwhile, stayed on with Arghun’s brother for nine months before heading to Venice via Trebizond (now Trabzon, Turkey), Constantinople and Negrepont (now Euboea, Greece). They arrived home in 1295, the year after Kublai’s death sent the Mongol Empire into an irrevocable decline.
Did Marco Polo leave Venetian territory?
A Genoese-Venetian peace treaty in 1299 allowed Marco Polo to return home. He probably never left Venetian territory again. The following year, he married Donata Badoer, with whom he would have three daughters. Not much is known about his golden years except that he continued trading and litigated against a cousin.
Where was Marco Polo born?
Early Life. Marco Polo was probably born in Venice, although there is no proof of his place of birth, around 1254 CE. His father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo were Venetian merchants who traded on the Silk Road; little Marco's father left for Asia before the child was born, and would return when the boy was a teenager.
Who is Marco Polo?
Biography of Marco Polo, Famous Explorer. Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. Marco Polo was an inmate in the Genoese prison at the Palazzo di San Giorgio from 1296 to 1299, arrested for commanding ...
How old was Marco Polo when he met Kublai Khan?
In Kublai Khan's Court. When he met Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo was just 20 years old. By this time he had become an enthusiastic admirer of the Mongol people, quite at odds with the opinion in most of the 13th century Europe.
What did Marco Polo cross to get to the heartlands?
In order to get to the Mongolian heartlands and Kublai Khan's court, however, the Polos had to cross the high Pamir Mountains. Marco encountered Buddhist monks with their saffron robes and shaved heads, which he found fascinating.
How long did Marco Polo stay in Yuan?
Little did the Polos know that they would be forced to remain in Yuan China for seventeen years. They could not leave without Kublai Khan's permission, and he enjoyed conversing with his "pet" Venetians. Marco, in particular, became a favorite of the Khan's and incurred a lot of jealousy from the Mongol courtiers.
Why was Marco Polo arrested?
Marco Polo was an inmate in the Genoese prison at the Palazzo di San Giorgio from 1296 to 1299, arrested for commanding a Venetian galley in a war against Genoa.
What was Marco Polo's story about?
Polo told tales of fabulous Asian courts, black stones that would catch on fire (coal), and Chinese money made out of paper. Ever since people have debated the question: Did Marco Polo really go to China, ...
Family business
Born into a noble family of Venetian merchants, Marco Polo began his long experience with Cathay through the adventures of his father, Niccolo, and his uncle, Maffeo Polo, partners in a trading operation at a time when Venice was the world leader in foreign commerce.
Years in China
With the approval of Kublai Khan, the Polos began widespread trading ventures within his empire. While on these business trips around the empire, Marco Polo demonstrated his quick mind and his ability to relate what he saw in clear, understandable terms.
Leaving the khan
Although the Polos enjoyed the profits of their enterprise, they longed to return to Venice to enjoy their wealth. They were prevented from returning for a time because Kublai Khan was unwilling to release them from his service. Their chance to return to Europe came in 1292, when they were sent on a mission to Persia and then to Rome.
Record of his travels
While imprisoned in Genoa, Marco Polo related the story of his travels to a fellow prisoner named Rusticiano, a man from Pisa, Italy, who wrote in the romantic style of thirteenth-century literature. A combination of Marco Polo's gift of observation and the writing style of Rusticiano emerged in the final version of Marco Polo's travels.
Overview
Marco Emilio Polo was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. 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 weal…
Life
Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice, capital of the Venetian Republic. His father, Niccolò Polo, had his household in Venice and left Marco's pregnant mother in order to travel to Asia with his brother Maffeo Polo. Their return to Italy in order to "go to Venice and visit their household" is described in The Travels of Marco Polo as follows: "...they departed from Acre and went to Negro…
The Travels of Marco Polo
An authoritative version of Marco Polo's book does not and cannot exist, for the early manuscripts differ significantly, and the reconstruction of the original text is a matter of textual criticism. A total of about 150 copies in various languages are known to exist. Before the availability of printing press, errors were frequently made during copying and translating, so there are many difference…
Scholarly analyses
Sceptics have long wondered whether Marco Polo wrote his book based on hearsay, with some pointing to omissions about noteworthy practices and structures of China as well as the lack of details on some places in his book. While Polo describes paper money and the burning of coal, he fails to mention the Great Wall of China, tea, Chinese characters, chopsticks, or footbinding. Hi…
Legacy
Other lesser-known European explorers had already travelled to China, such as Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, but Polo's book meant that his journey was the first to be widely known. Christopher Columbus was inspired enough by Polo's description of the Far East to want to visit those lands for himself; a copy of the book was among his belongings, with handwritten annotations. Bento de Góis, …
See also
• Chinese expeditions to the Sinhala Kingdom
• Chronology of European exploration of Asia
• Rabban Bar Sauma, Uyghur Nestorian Christian monk from Zhongdu (Khanbaliq, modern Beijing) who led a Mongol diplomatic mission to medieval European monarchs and the pope, visiting Greece, Italy, and France
Bibliography
• Marco Polo, Marci Poli Veneti de Regionibus Orientalibus, Simon Grynaeus Johannes Huttichius, Novus Orbis Regionum ac Insularum Veteribus Incognitarum, Basel, 1532, pp. 350–418.
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Marco Polo" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Further reading
• Marco Polo (1918). Marsden, William (ed.). The Travels of Marco Polo. London: J.M. Dent & Sons. p. 461.
• Hart, H. Henry (1948). Marco Polo, Venetian Adventurer. Kessinger Publishing.
• Dalrymple, William (1989). In Xanadu.