What is marco polo famous for

Medieval Italian traveling merchant brothers

Niccolò Polo (Italian:[nikkoˌlɔpˈpɔːlo], Venetian:[nikoˌɰɔˈpolo]; c.&#; &#; c.&#;)^{[nb 1]} and Maffeo^{[nb 2]} Polo (Italian:[mafˈfɛːoˈpɔːlo], Venetian:[maˈfɛoˈpolo]; c.&#; – c.&#;)^{[nb 3]} were Italian^[a] traveling merchants from the Republic of Venice, best known as the father and uncle, respectively, of the explorer Marco Polo.

The brothers went into business before Marco's birth, established trading posts in Constantinople, Sudak in Crimea, and in a western part of the Mongol Empire in Asia. As a duo, they reached modern-day China before temporarily returning to Europe to deliver a message to the Pope. Taking Niccolò's son Marco with them, the Polos then made another journey through Asia, which became the subject of Marco's account The Travels of Marco Polo.

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First voyage

Leaving Niccolò's infant son Marco behind, Niccolò and Maffeo left Venice for Constantinople, where they resided for several years.^{[2][nb 4]} The two brothers lived in the Venetian quarter of Constantinople, where they enjoyed diplomatic immunity, political chances and tax relief because of their country's role in establishing the Latin Empire in the Fourth Crusade of However, the family judged the political situation of the city precarious, so they decided to transfer their business northeast to Soldaia, a city in Crimea, and left Constantinople in or Their decision proved wise.

Constantinople was recaptured in by Michael Palaeologus, the ruler of the Empire of Nicaea, who promptly burned and razed the Venetian quarter and reestablished the Byzantine Empire. Captured Venetian citizens were blinded,^[3] while many of those who managed to escape died aboard overloaded refugee ships fleeing to other Venetian colonies in the Aegean Sea.

Their new home on the north rim of the Black Sea, Soldaia (present-day Sudak, Crimea) had been frequented by Venetian traders since the 12th century. When the Polos reached it, it was part of the newly formed Mongol state known as the Golden Horde.

Maffeo polo biography of christopher kennedy His father and uncle, Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, were merchants who traveled often to Asia to trade valuable materials such as jewels and silk. As a child of a merchant family, he would have received a nice education that included reading, writing, and basic math. 2 Marco’s story begins with his father and uncle’s journeys.

Knowing that they could not return west to Constantinople, they planned to venture east and return at a later date.^[4] The Polos continued their journey to Sarai, where the court of Berke Khan, the ruler of the Golden Horde, was located. At that time, the city of Sarai was no more than a huge encampment, and the Polos stayed for about a year.

The Polo brothers became merchant partners, ortoq, of Berke to sell wares entrusted to them.^[5]

Finally, they decided to avoid Crimea, because of a civil war between Berke and his cousin Hulagu or perhaps because of the bad relationship between Berke Khan and the Byzantine Empire.^{[citation needed]} Later, they moved east and crossed the Tigris River, and walked 17 days through the northern end of the Arabian desert where they did not encounter any towns or villages save for a few Tatar nomads with tents and livestock.

Eventually, when they reached Bukhara, the brothers realised they could not continue their journey nor return the way they had come from, so they decided to stay here for three years.^[4]

While still in Bukhara, Niccolò and Maffeo met a travelling messenger of the Ilkhanate ruler Hulagu. The messenger was on his way to meet Kublai Khan and decided to invite the brothers on his journey.^[4] In , they reached the seat of Kublai Khan, the leader of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, at Dadu (present-day Beijing).

Maffeo polo biography of christopher jackson: Marco Polo, the famed 13th-century Venetian explorer, embarked on extensive travels to the East, documenting diverse cultures and helping forge connections between Europe and Asia. From.

In the book, The Travels of Marco Polo, Kublai Khan officially received the Polos and sent them back with a Mongol named Koeketei as an ambassador to the pope. They brought with them a letter from the Khan requesting educated people to come and teach Christianity and Western customs to his people and oil from the lamp of the Holy Sepulcher.

The letter also contained a paiza, a golden tablet a foot long and 3 inches (&#;cm) wide, allowing the holder to acquire and obtain lodging, horses and food throughout Kublai Khan's dominion. Koeketei left in the middle of the journey, leaving the Polos to travel alone to Ayas in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. From that port city, they sailed to Acre, capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The long sede vacante between the death of Pope Clement IV, in , and the election of the new pope in delayed the Polos' attempts to fulfil Kublai's request. As suggested by Teobaldo Visconti, then papal legate for the realm of Egypt, in Acre for the Ninth Crusade, the two brothers returned to Venice in or , waiting for the nomination of the new pope.

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Niccolò and Maffeo are characters in the miniseries Marco Polo, played by Denholm Elliott and Tony Vogel, respectively. They are portrayed by Massimo Girotti and Mića Orlović in the movie Marco the Magnificent.

Here Niccolò met up once again with his son Marco, now 15 or 16, who had been living with his aunt and another uncle in Venice since the death of his mother at a young age.

Second voyage

See also: Marco Polo and Europeans in Medieval China

As soon as he was elected in , Pope Gregory X (the former Teobaldo Visconti) received the letter from Kublai Khan, remitted by Niccolò and Maffeo.

Kublai Khan was asking for the dispatch of a hundred missionaries, and some oil from the lamp of Jerusalem. The two Polos (this time accompanied by the year-old Marco Polo) returned to Mongolia, accompanied by two Dominican friars, Niccolò de Vicence and Guillaume de Tripoli.

Maffeo polo biography of christopher Polo brothers receiving a gold laissez-passer from Kublai Khan, as illustrated in the – illuminated manuscript Livre des merveilles.. Niccolò Polo (Italian: [nikkoˌlɔ pˈpɔːlo], Venetian: [nikoˌɰɔ ˈpolo]; c. – c. ) [nb 1] and Maffeo [nb 2] Polo (Italian: [mafˈfɛːo ˈpɔːlo], Venetian: [maˈfɛo ˈpolo]; c. – c. ) [nb 3] were Italian [a] traveling.

The two friars did not finish the voyage due to fear, but the Polos reached Kanbaliq and remitted the presents from the Pope to Kublai in ^[6] It is usually said that the Polos used the Northern Silk Road although the possibility of a southern route has been advanced.^[7] The Polos spent the next 17 years in China.

According to The Travels of Marco Polo (Il Milione), Kublai Khan took a liking to Marco, who was an engaging storyteller. He was sent on many diplomatic missions throughout his empire. Marco carried out diplomatic assignments but also entertained the Khan with interesting stories and observations about the lands he traveled.

According to Marco's travel account, the Polos asked several times for permission to return to Europe but the Great Khan appreciated the visitors so much that he would not agree to their departure.

Only in did Kublai entrust Marco with his last duty, to escort the Mongol princess Kököchin (Cocacin in Il Milione) to her betrothed, the Ilkhan Arghun.

Maffeo polo biography of christopher columbus This would become the book The Travels of Marco Polo. The Travels of Marco Polo became influential for many future explorers. Most notably, Christopher Columbus. The Travels of Marco Polo was the first detailed account of the wealth of China to Europeans. Polo was released from captivity in He would have been around 45 years old.

The party traveled by sea, departing from the southern port city of Quanzhou and sailing to Sumatra, and then to Persia via Sri Lanka and India. In or the Polos reached the Ilkhanate, ruled by Gaykhatu after the death of Arghun, and left Kököchin with the new Ilkhan. Then they moved to Trebizond and from that city sailed to Venice.

Popular culture

• Niccolò and Maffeo Polo are featured in the video game Assassin's Creed Revelations.

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They are inducted into the Assassin Order by Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, who bequeathed them his Codex and five Memory Seals (which can be collected in several secret locations), before the brothers established various Assassins Guilds. A Niccolò's journal titled The Secret Crusade is also featured in the game.

• The brothers are also featured in Netflix's historical fiction series, Marco Polo which premiered in .
• Niccolò and Maffeo are characters in the miniseries Marco Polo, played by Denholm Elliott and Tony Vogel, respectively.
• They are portrayed by Massimo Girotti and Mića Orlović in the movie Marco the Magnificent.

Notes

References