Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant, whose incredible odyssey took him from Venice to the borders of China in the 13th century, where he served the Mongol Emperor Kubilai Khan. The accounts of his travels transcribed in his Book of Wonders (also called The Travels of Marco Polo) will influence other explorers in their wake, such as Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus. Let’s find out more about the biography of this character: Who was Marco Polo, biography and what he discovered Marco Polo was born on September 15, 1254 in Venice, and not on the island of Korcula as the Croatian legend says about the birth of the Italian explorer. He belongs to a family of wealthy merchants who specialize in trade with the Orient. Her path is clear and will lead her to the ends of the earth. But first, we must wait for the return of the father and uncle, Niccolo and Matteo, who make a trip to China where they meet Kubilaï Khan, founder of the Mongol Yuan dynasty. During his fifteen-year absence, Marco Polo was educated by his grandfather, Andréa Polo. Back in Venice, Niccolo and Matteo have a mission: deliver a letter to the Pope on behalf of the Khan and gather a hundred Christian scholars to teach him about the Christianity. But here they face a big problem since at that time there was no designated pope. Since the death of Clement IV in 1268, the papal election has dragged on. They had to wait for the election of Gregory X to be able to carry their message. A First Journey along the Silk Road Therefore, it was in 1271 that Niccolo and Matteo returned to China, this time carrying the young Marco, then seventeen years old. The great adventure begins. The two Dominican monks who were persuaded to go to China quickly turned around.The three adventurers take the Silk Road which allows exchanges between the West and the East. By boat, they sail along the Italian coast heading south. The Mediterranean transports them without interruption. They go to Greece, then to Turkey and stop over in Acre, Syria, where they buy supplies like dates and chickpeas. The road is still long, on horseback and on foot, then through the magnificent landscapes of Armenia. At the gates of the city of Tabriz, near the border with Persia, where visitors from all over the world meet, Marco Polo is amazed. The labyrinth of alleys leads to gardens where poets compose their verses. In the bazaars, find everything, including diamonds, rubies and sublime emeralds. The Polo do some shopping and then rest before leaving. A tough crossing They then have to cross the desert, in the center of Persia. The heat is suffocating, the water is scarce. Thousands of miles of hot sand stretch as far as the eye can see. At night, in the desert, the people of Polo tell each other stories. The imaginations of the three explorers, already fertile, are nourished by the different stages of their journey. In Central Asia, tired but determined, Marco Polo, accompanied by his uncle and father, faces the ambushes of the Tartars. In the Pamir region, they climb one of the highest mountains in the world. The ascent and descent last more than 5 days. Landscapes pass. After the snow, the sand is back. They cross another desert, the Goby Desert. It is so vast that it takes a year to cross it from east to west. Sand storms, fog, conditions are difficult but nothing can stop the explorers. Marco Polo discovers China Four years after their departure from Venice in 1275, the Poles arrive in the city of the great Khan, in China.They discover his summer palace in Xanadu, then follow him to Cambaluc, the new capital of China for almost ten years, located near present-day Beijing. Astonished, Marco Polo describes Cambaluc Palace as follows: “It is the largest palace of the world. It has no floors, but only a ground floor, the tiled floor of which is about ten palms above the ground. Its ceiling is very high. The walls of the corridors and chambers are all covered in gold and silver, and decorated with paintings depicting dragons, beasts, birds, knights, statues, and many other motifs. The ceiling is made in such a way that it appears to be all gold, silver, and paintings. The palace is so large that at least six thousand guests could eat there, and it has so many rooms that it is wonderful. No one could imagine a more perfect palace, as vast and magnificent as it is. The ceiling beams are reddish, yellow, green, gold, and many other colors. Glazed with delicacy and artistry, they sparkle like glass and the palate sparkles in the distance. Strong and safe, this roof is built for eternity. »Marco Polo, in the diplomatic service of the Mongol Emperor Kubilai Khan, grandsons of Genghis Khan, reigns over the Mongol Empire, then at its peak. Sovereign open to the world, he receives foreigners with open arms. She already knows her father and uncle but she discovers young Marco Polo. Intrigued by the curiosity of the Venetian who has learned oriental languages, Tartarés, Uyghur, Persian and Arabic, he takes him to his service. Niccolo and Matteo serve as military advisers to the Mongolian emperor while Marco Polo is in his diplomatic service, this all-important mission takes him to the borders of China, Tibet, Cambodia, Korea, Thailand and even Burma.For three years, Marco Polo even served as governor of Yang-tcheou. After seventeen years in the emperor’s service, the Poles have accumulated a great treasure. It is time to go home, especially since the Khan is no longer very young and, if he dies, nothing guarantees the diplomatic immunity of the Venetians. But the Khan disagrees and refuses to let the trio go.The end of a journey and the return to Italy Trapped in this golden prison, they must wait until 1292 before they can finally return home. On the way back, your mission is to escort a Mongolian princess, Koekoecin, to Persia. Once the young woman has been deposited, and at the end of an eventful journey, Marco, his father and his uncle return to Venice towards the end of the year 1295. The holds of their ships are full of spices, silks and precious stones. They have been gone for twenty-four years. The stories and riches they bring with them amaze their compatriots.In 1298, Marco Polo participated in the Battle of Curzola that opposed Venice and Genoa. He arms himself and commands a galley in the Mediterranean Sea. But the Venetian Doge Dandolo is defeated by the Genoese. Captured by the enemy, Marco Polo is taken prisoner in Genoa. It was during his two years in captivity that he dictated to his cellmate, Rustichello of Pisa, the story of his incredible journey, The Book of Wonders or The Travels of Marco Polo. The book quickly became a best-seller. The printing press does not exist yet, but hand-made copies circulate throughout Europe and become the most valuable source of information about the Far East for centuries. At 45, Marco Polo decides not to go to sea again and marries Donata Badoer with whom he has three daughters.He died at his home in Venice on January 8, 1324 at the age of 70.