Marco Polo

Marco Polo died in Venice 700 years ago, on 9 January 1324. The famous Venetian traveller, merchant and writer is remembered for his travels to the East with his father Niccolò, which led him to follow the Silk Road to Cathay, where he became a diplomat at the court of Kublai Khan. The memories of his travels are collected in the book "Il Milione", dictated to Rustichello da Pisa, probably his cellmate during his incarceration in the prisons of San Giorgio in Genoa. The book provided the very first written account of the geography and history of Asian countries and was a great inspiration for generations of travellers, including Christopher Columbus.