They had to cross both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea before reaching the Middle East. There were many challenges along the way. He and his family traveled a long way to reach their destination, taking what is now known as the Silk Road. This time, the family was given a letter from the new pope and other items to bring to the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. About two years later, at age 17, Marco joined the adventure. It was around age 15 that his father and uncle returned home to wait out the election of a new pope. The average life expectancy for people born in the UK for example during the Middle Ages was only about 31 years. Marco Polo lived until 1324, meaning he enjoyed a considerably longer life than was average for that time period.

His father and an uncle had left on an extended trading expedition, leaving Marco in the care of relatives. The book that he co-authored is called Book of the Marvels of the World, better known in the English-speaking world as The Travels of Marco Polo.Īside from being a merchant, Marco Polo was also an adventurer like his family before him. It was his adventures overseas that he would later write about that earned him a permanent place in history. However, it wasn’t just the wealth of his family that catapulted him into the history books. His family had already established itself as a force, building wealth through trading with the Middle East. He was born in 1254 in Italy and was a merchant. Let’s take a closer look at the travels of Marco Polo, and how they changed the world.īefore we get into the details of how Marco Polo’s travels changed history, here’s more about who he was. That mirrors the travels of Marco Polo, who took part in his own adventures (on a much grander scale.) The game entails one person trying to find others in a pool with their eyes closed, following only the sound of their voice while traveling through the unknown. Marco Polo means much more than just a name you shout during a game.

The travels of marco polo book