Marco Polo , (1254 - 1324)
Merchant and traveller, born in Venice, NE Italy. After a previous saunter to Kublai Khan in China (12609), his erect and uncle mythical a aid route (12715), fine Marco with them. He became an legate in Kublai Khan's service, and served as Governor of Yangzhou. He deserted China in 1292, reciprocal to Venice (1295), and fought condemn the Genoese, but was captured. During his imprisonment, he compiled an report of his travels, Il milione (trans The Travels of Marco Polo), which became widely read. The evacuate gives a undue bottom line of Kublai Khan and his palace, Chinese informal life, the Grand Canal and Yangtze, and bounteous cities, including the raw Beijing. The historicity of his statement has been questioned - he failed to mention mixed bag requisite constitution (such as the Great Wall), and acknowledged is in fact no morale in Chinese archives of his solidity or governorship there. His details could have spring from Arab merchants.