Episode 13 The Travels of Marco Polo

The Middle Ages Around the World

Dr Joyce E Salisbury

Film Review

In 1250 Venetian merchants Nicolo Polo (father of Marco) and his brother Mafeo left Venice to establish trading posts in Crimea, Constantinople (which was briefly a Venetian colony following the Fourth Crusade in 1204 (see The Crusades Clash of Cultures:1096-1271 )* and and the western Mongol Empire. They eventually reached the Yuan dynasty in China, where Kublai Khan commissioned them to deliver a message to the Pope. Around 1267, they returned to Venice to collect Marco, now 17, who returned with them to the court of Kubai Khan.

The Travels of Marco Polo, written following his return to Venice in 1295, provides intimate details of their extended journey. After they traveled via Israel to Baghdad, it  took them three years to cross central Asia (via dromedary). Once they reached Mongolia, Mongol horsemen provided an escort through Tibet, where Marco describe seeing opulent silks, gems, gold jewelry and ornaments, spices, elephants and crocodiles.

After serving Kublai Khan’s court as a diplomat for 17 years, Marco traveled to  Burma, Indonesia, Vietnam and India before taking the sea route home as chaperone to the Khan’s daughter Princess Kokochin. She was betrothed to the Khan’s great nephew Argun, ruler of the Ilkhanate. Marco was escorted by great fleet carrying 600 nobles, only eight of whom survived a fierce topical storm. Because Argun had already died, the princess married his son.

Marco brought a fortune in gemstones home with him to Venice, which he discovered was at war with Genoa. After using his jewels to buy a galley and trebuchet, he was captured by Genoa forces and jailed. His cellmate was Rustacello, author of numerous, medieval romances, transcribed the tales Marco told him in French-Italian. Columbus took a copy of the Travels of Marco Polo on his first voyage to the New World.

*A Byzantine aristocrat named Alexios Strategopoulos recaptured Constantinople from the Venetians in 1261 and burned the Venetian quarter of the city to the ground,

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https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/13172786/13172819