Marco Polo
Marco Polo (1254 - January 8 1324) was an Italian trader and explorer. He was one of the first Europeans to explore east Asia. Many other explorers, including Christopher Columbus, looked up to him.
He went on a 24-year trip to China with his father and uncle during the Mongol Dynasty.
As Marco Polo's mother died when he was born he grew up in Venice with his father Niccolo Polo, who took him on his first journey to Cathey (China). His family was a group of well-known merchants, not explorers.
He started his travels at the age of 17 leaving Venice on a boat that went through the Mediterranean Sea, Ayas, Tabriz and Kerman. Then he travelled across Asia getting as far as Beijing. On the way there he had to go over mountains and through terrible deserts. Across hot burning lands and places where the cold was horrible. He served in Khans court for 17 years and left the Far East and returned to Venice by sea. There was sickness on board and 600 passengers and crew died and some say pirates attacked.
Some scholars believe that while Marco Polo did go to China, did not go to all of the other places described in his book. He brought noodles back from China and the Italians formed all new sizes and shapes and called it pasta.
Soon after Marco Polo returned from his journeys he fought in a war against Genoa, got captured and put in prison, When he was in prison he became friendly with a prisoner, Rusticello, who was a writer of romances and novels. Marco told the writer about all his adventures. Rusticello wrote down his words which led Marco to the creation of a famous book called The travels of Marco Polo, and became famous throughout Europe. They found his stories to be very interesting and strange as western people did not know much about the Eastern world.
Marco Polo’s nickname was Marco IL Milione standing for a million lies as the Venetians thought he was lying about his travels.
