The Journeys of Marco Polo and Their Impact
Overview
Marco Polo (c. 1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant and adventurer who made an extended, twenty-four year (1271-95), journey with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo into central Asia, including seventeen years spent in Mongol-controlled China. He was among the first Europeans to visit this part of the world and was the first to record in detail the many things he observed there. He included information on the culture and religion as well as the geography and government of the regions he visited. His account of the trip was published in 1298 as Divisament dou Monde (Description of the world), now known generally as "The Travels of Marco Polo." Although read widely when it appeared, it was regarded by most readers as a work of fiction. Only later was it realized that most of its contents are quite accurate. In any case, it served to excite Europeans about the riches in trade and culture which might be found in unfamiliar areas of the world and to encourage them to venture out in search of them.
Background
Marco Polo lived at an auspicious time in history. The Dark Ages that had followed the collapse of the Roman Empire were ending.
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