italian pronunciation january venetian merchant traveller travels recorded des book world known travels book introduced europeans china learned trade father uncle travelled asia met returned venice meet time embarked epic journey asia returning years find venice war genoa imprisoned dictated stories released wealthy merchant married children died buried church venice european reach china europeans medieval china leave detailed chronicle experience book inspired travellers substantial literature based polo writings influenced european leading introduction map life family origin born exact date place birth unknown historians mentioned born september date endorsed mainstream scholarship birthplace generally considered venice varies constantinople island dispute polo family venetian origin venetian historical sources considered origin recorded polo mentioned prohibition trade arabs later mentioned service realm related family uncertain indicate ancestors traveled venice indications family originated resident come venetian documents manuscripts testament uncle said uncle previously lived constantinople son daughter time testament lived family house scholars argued account note father uncle stayed constantinople merchandise venice non venetian origin family considered 14th century family mentioned immigrants venice family coat arms states ancient times came recorded younger mentioned captain polo mentioned document time family arrived year probably symbolically chosen year cities conquered cited early 17th century venetian manuscripts polo scholars argued family derives latin certain bird species like albert considered eastern origin scholars related bird old croatian dialect called old venetian dialect pole fitting representation bird family coat arms compared italian habitat non existent related venice wetland areas like surname polo related widespread lack evidence makes theory probably influence specific birthplace strongly disputed croatian scholars consider invented early life asian travel great uncle borrowed money commanded ship constantinople grandfather parish sons travelers father described universally accepted additional evidence support father merchant traded wealthy achieving great prestige brother set trading voyage birth residing constantinople capital political change assets moved away according travels passed asia met khan ruler founder dynasty decision leave constantinople proved timely ruler took constantinople promptly burned venetian quarter established captured venetian citizens blinded managed escape perished aboard refugee ships fleeing venetian colonies known childhood years old probably spent childhood venice mother died aunt uncle raised received good education learning subjects including foreign currency handling cargo ships learned little latin father later married polo née returned families venice meeting young time rule seventeen years age father uncle set asia series adventures later documented book returned venice years later treasures travelled miles captivity later life returned venice fortune converted time venice war polo armed equipped join war probably caught skirmish coast battle september coast claim later tradition 16th century recorded spent months imprisonment detailed account travels fellow incorporated tales collected anecdotes current affairs china book soon spread europe manuscript form known travels depicts journeys asia giving europeans comprehensive look inner workings far_east including china india japan polo finally released captivity august returned home venice father uncle meantime purchased large zone named san venture polo family probably invested profits trading brought east company continued activities soon wealthy merchant uncle financed expeditions likely left venetian provinces return father died married daughter merchant daughters married married mentioned venetian document local sea captains payment taxes relation certain mentioned riots aristocratic government escaped death penalty riots led mother grandson count rebels family branch unclear polo certainly mentioned testament document according owner estate deceased father wife donate bought family property death polo confined bed illness january despite physicians efforts treat polo deathbed write family requested priest wife daughters appointed church entitled law portion estate approved ordered sum paid convent place wished buried set free peter servant accompanied asia polo venetian divided rest assets including properties individuals religious institutions guild fraternity belonged wrote multiple debts including sister law owed convent named ordered paid work prayers signed polo relevant rule touch document rule law venetian law stating day ends sunset exact date death determined according scholars january holds original copy testament dates testament january gives date death time june travels polo authoritative version book exist early manuscripts differ significantly published editions book rely single manuscripts blend multiple versions add notes clarify example english translation english translation based latin manuscript found library longer versions approximately manuscript copies languages known exist availability printing press inevitably introduced copying translation popular translation published works texts polo related memoirs prisoners wrote oil western merchants orient idea probably create handbook merchants essentially text weights measures distances narrative book opens preface describing father uncle traveling prince khan lived year later went continued envoy levant invited meet met europeans reached seat khan present day beijing china received brothers asked questions european legal political system pope church rome brothers answered questions tasked delivering letter pope requesting christians acquainted grammar rhetoric logic geometry music astronomy requested envoy bring oil lamp jerusalem long death pope election successor delayed fulfilling request followed suggestion papal realm egypt returned venice await nomination new pope allowed father time age sixteen embarked voyage fulfill request sailed acre rode persian port wanted sail straight china ships continued overland reaching summer palace near present day instance trip joined travelling merchants crossed paths unfortunately party soon attacked cover ambush managed fight escape nearby town members killed enslaved half years leaving venice years old welcomed palace exact date arrival unknown scholars estimate reaching court presented sacred oil jerusalem papal letters patron knew languages family accumulated great deal knowledge experience useful possible government official wrote imperial visits china southern eastern provinces far south burma travels brought farther possibly met gave earliest accounts hostile north tribe highly respected sought court decided decline requests leave china worried returning home safely believing died enemies turn close involvement ruler great nephew ruler persia sent representatives china search potential wife asked accompany permitted return persia wedding party left year southern china fleet party sailed port singapore travelled north sumatra sailed west point port eventually polo crossed year voyage people including crew convoy eighteen survived including left wedding party reaching travelled overland port black_sea present day debate wondered actually went china wrote book based polo describes paper money burning coal fails mention great wall china chinese characters book polo claimed close friend advisor governor city years chinese source mentions friend emperor governor chinese source mentions polo likewise polo claimed provided technical advice building siege claim possibly true siege polo arrived china army besieged chinese military engineers attached known build equal found europe polo leading day critic book china argued best polo went east persia modern iran book china obtained reading persian books wood maintains probable polo went constantinople modern istanbul turkey italian merchant colonies black_sea picking travelers east supporters book basic accuracy replied responses stated purpose polo tales impress tales high esteem advanced civilization possible polo details cause listeners chinese sense european superiority lived elite foot binding rare chinese polo time unknown great walls built northern invaders ruling dynasty visit northern invaders researchers note great wall familiar today structure built centuries travels rulers polo served controlled territories north south today wall reasons maintain fortifications remained earlier europeans traveled dynasty said wall british historian argued polo ghost writer certainly exaggerated lied status china making friend governor helping prove polo went china morgan argued possible polo served governor european ruling important wealthy city like sufficient novelty 13th century china merit mention chinese records defense morgan noted voyage princess china persia marry confirmed 15th century chinese encyclopedia persian historian mentions polo european party morgan argued polo mere venetian merchant considered important person omission surprising especially considers entourage numbered hundreds strong dislike medieval middle_east muslims called western_europe western europeans having positive omitted given honor members party morgan maintained marriage member dynasty china cousins persia known asia way european like polo known asia morgan wrote book china correct claim polo china creates far problems balance strongly suggests polo china exaggerated somewhat importance china british scholar pointed book fact collaboration written polo professional writer intention use today language write best seller preferred stress fantastic bizarre romantic expense accuracy argued today difficult tell precisely book polo firmly established book written style characterized books strongly suggest book written polo merely travels likewise opening introduction book emperors kings lifted straight romance written years earlier episodes book taken romance reset china example romance described arrival sir court king arthur meeting described polo khan court right words romance polo inserted place sir place king arthur adjustments way account siege reworked version epic siege king arthur described romance wrote fantastic aspects book added giving medieval european readers expected find travel book fantastic bizarre accounts people heads dogs faces staples medieval travel literature certainly work way dropped references ordinary life china presumably little interest european audience wrote features book likely tendency status court particularly relation princess entrusted care vein accompanies references sexual customs acclaim exotic novelty marvel likely aid written best seller produced handbook probably written book noted references daily life culture geography history china far_east general unknown like come polo far established east visited known rest asia unknown historian argued polo description paper money salt production supported presence china included details known economic historian preface monograph concludes demonstrates specific example specific example ultimately overwhelming probability broad authenticity polo account problems caused oral transmission original text significantly different hand copied manuscripts instance polo exert political authority merely concludes doubted mistaken casual case closed book essence authentic care broad terms trusted obviously final witness legacy exploration lesser known european explorers travelled china polo book meant journey widely known inspired polo description far_east want visit lands copy book belongings inspired polo writings christian kingdom east travelled miles years found kingdom ended travels great wall china proving called china travels influence development european ultimately leading european exploration century later map said disputed historian work quote appears partially based brought fine illuminated world map seen large cabinet alongside choir monastery monastery brothers monastery took great delight study drawn copied beautiful old nautical map world map brought honourable father produced map illustrated journey family drew maps far_east based accounts collection maps signed polo daughters contain maps journey sea routes japan siberia coastlines alaska centuries americas europeans commemoration polo sheep subspecies named explorer described crossing ancient built new_brunswick took polo ship sail world months airport venice named venice polo airport frequent program hong_kong flag carrier known polo club arts entertainment media games game polo form tag played swimming pool land slightly modified rules polo appears strategy video game civilization revolution literature travels number works polo italo novel polo appears pivotal character novel force book strain facts polo travels secrets kept modern day action television television miniseries featuring directed depicts polo travels won emmy awards nominated television film starring portrays left china uncle father return venice reunited years later footsteps pbs documentary friends donnell conceived ultimate road trip journey venice china land sea television drama series early years court premiered december
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