Of course, the sheep weren't named after him in his lifetime. Many of us have spent a summer's afternoon in a swimming pool playing the tag game of Marco Polo, but did you know that the Venetian merchant also has a species of sheep named after him? In The Travels of Marco Polo, he mentions observing the mountain sheep on the Pamir Plateau in Badakhshan. He has a species of sheep named after him He was influential in Christopher Columbus' decision to strike out for unknown territoryĬolumbus is said to have been inspired by Polo's adventures and took a copy of The Travels of Marco Polo on his Westward sail two centuries after Polo's journey to China. Keep in mind the printing press wasn't invented until 1439, so the books were handwritten and mistakes were made. The earliest remaining copies of the travelogue are not always consistent in details, but do remain true to the stories. There are no longer any original copies remaining of the manuscript, initially titled Il Milione ( The Million) and released in Italian, French and Latin. The two met while in prison, where Polo dictated the stories of his travels and his adventures at the court of Kublai Khan. Instead, the book was written by the 13th-century romantic author Rustichello of Pisa. 'The Travels of Marco Polo' was not written by Polo He did, however, introduce the concept of paper money, which was used in Mongolia in the 13th century, but not in Europe.

It is one of the most famous legends out there about the adventurer, but truth be told, pasta had made its way into the cuisine of Italy prior to Polo's birth. Marco Polo did not bring pasta back to Venice from China The Polos weren't the first wayfarers - Polo's word - to make it to Asia, but Polo is the one who became most famous for it. But the death of Polo's mother convinced Niccolò that Marco should accompany him on the return trip, which lasted 24 years (1271-1295). Polo barely knew his father, who had spent Polo's childhood as a traveling merchant when they left on their quest. His father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo Polo had made the journey previously. Polo was only 15 years old when he left Venice on the great adventure that took him to the court of Kublai Khan Take a look at real life of this legendary explorer to separate fact from the fiction. Polo traveled extensively with his family, journeying from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295 and remaining in China for 17 of those years. Polo was known for the book The Travels of Marco Polo, which describes his voyage to and experiences in Asia.

Venetian explorer Marco Polo spent more than two decades in the service of Kublai Khan, one of the greatest rulers in history who reigned over Mongolia for 34 years.

The book of marco polo