Special Sub-Topic: Marco Polo Click Here To Play: Marco Polo

In which Italian city is Marco Polo believed to have been born?

Venice. Whilst it is generally accepted that Marco Polo and his family came from the Venetian Republic, it is not known for certain. The most pressing alternative candidate is Korcula, an island in modern day Croatia.

What were the names of Marco's father and uncle?

Maffeo and Niccolo. Sometimes Maffeo's name appears as Matteo or Mattheo, but most of the time it's spelt the way I did.

In what year did Marco's father and uncle first go to China?

1260. Maffeo and Niccolo first went to China. They first planned to go to Constantinople, but as a war suddenly began around the city they had to change their plans and travelled further than was planned - to Northern China.

Who gave them a splendid welcome?

Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan was the emperor of China at that time. Mirza Taqui Khan and Nadir Khan are both more or less fictive people from my favourite book 'Phantom of the Opera', and Cocachin was the name of a princess Marco met. Kublai Khan was originally from Mongolia.

In what year did Marco go to China?

1271. Maffeo and Niccolo went to China in 1260. When they got home, Marco got very interested and loved to hear their tales from the far east. When Maffeo and Niccolo went to China eleven years later, Marco begged them for a permission to join the tribe, and so his adventures began.

From what country did the Khan of China come?

Mongolia. Yes, he did. China and Mongolia belonged to one kingdom at that time.

Who was responsible for Marco Polo's book other than himself?

Rustichello da Pisa. Rustichello da Pisa was an author that Marco was in jail with for some time during the war of Genoa and Venice. For some reason the people loved to arrest each other, and otherwise nobody believed any of Marco's tales from China. Anyway, Rustichello da Pisa offered to write his book, and so he did. Mirza Taqui Khan is a fictive person, so is Darius da Venezia.

Who was the princess that Marco and his father and uncle brought to Persia during the end of their time in China?

Cocachin. Marco and his family asked Kublai Khan for a permission to go home to Venice. It wasn't that they didn't like being with him in China, they just longed to come home. The khan wouldn't allow this, so when Cocachin was going to Persia to marry the Persian Khan Arghun, they offered to follow her the whole way. When they got to Persia they got a message that Kublai Khan was dead, and then they went home.

During the war of which two cities did Marco sit in jail?

Venice and Genoa. Would you believe it? Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is a Russian city on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Bari is another Italian city. Anyway, as I said Marco was in jail due to people's sceptical feelings about his tales from China, and as Genoa and Venice were fighting lots up people ended up there.

{Finally;} in what year was Marco's book finished?

1299. Finally Marco's book was finished, and even after it was published a large number of people didn't believe his stories.