It was Marco Polo’s book of his travels that introduced Europeans to China and Central Asia. Although he was not the first European to travel to China, he was the first to write about his adventures and so it was his experiences that formed the basis of early European knowledge of the country .
Why was the travels of Marco Polo so popular in Europe?
Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years. Though not the first European to explore China—his father and uncle, among others, had already been there—he became famous for his travels thanks to a popular book he co-authored while languishing in a Genoese prison .
How was Marco Polo’s book influential?
“The Travels of Marco Polo,” as Marco Polo’s story is now generally known, had a significant impact on subsequent exploration. When they were first published, the tales he told seemed fantastic to Europeans who had never been exposed to the details of central Asia .
Who was Marco Polo and how was he influential?
Marco Polo, (born c. 1254, Venice [Italy]—died January 8, 1324, Venice), Venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from Europe to Asia in 1271–95, remaining in China for 17 of those years , and whose Il milione (“The Million”), known in English as the Travels of Marco Polo, is a classic of travel literature.
How did Marco Polo impact Europe during the Renaissance?
Marco Polo influenced the Renaissance period by bringing back inventions and ideas from his travels . Some things he introduced to Europe were; Pasta, Paper Money, Coal, Lenses, Gunpowder, Silk and Spices. Paper Money: Revolutionized finance and commerce in Europe.
What impact do you think an account like Marco Polo’s travels might have had on an explorer like Christopher Columbus?
Obviously by the way Marco Polo depicted his visit to the foreign palace, it would have encouraged and inspired many like Columbus . The reason being because of Polo’s descriptive explanations about every intricate detail of the palace, describing its beauty and grandness.
What were Marco Polo’s achievements?
Some of the major accomplishments that Marco Polo had were that he met the famous author, Rustichello, he wrote about Marco’s travels and explorations in the book, “The Book of Travels” , from this book many Europeans learned about China and its currency and what it used things for, this book also stimulated interest in ...
What was Marco Polo’s goal of exploration?
Marco Polo’s goal in traveling to China was to help his father and uncle fulfill the task that Kublai Khan gave them of bringing back some Christian priests and holy oil . His goal in writing about his travels was to educate contemporary Europeans about China and other lands of the East.
Why would European merchants find Polo’s account of Asia appealing?
Why would European merchants find Polo’s account of Asia appealing? The merchants were very wealthy and got so many goods passing through their hands . So when Polo thought the town consumed a lot they probably thought it was nothing.
How did Marco Polo’s stories influence the Silk Road trade?
They led to a decrease in Asian trade . They encouraged Asians to begin trading with others. They led to an increase in European trade with Asia.
Why is Marco Polo still important today?
Why do we remember him as an explorer? We remember him today – 700 years later – because he did one thing that none of the other merchants of the day did – he wrote about his travels . The fact that we even remember Marco Polo today is because he was a writer.
How did Marco Polo influence the age of exploration?
For example, Marco Polo brought back the idea of paper money and some think his descriptions of coal, eyeglasses and a complex postal system eventually led to their widespread use in Europe. Marco Polo’s book inspired Christopher Columbus and other explorers to begin their own adventures .
