Marco Polo

Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who traveled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. He spent 17 years in the service of Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China. His experiences were recorded in his famous book, 'The Travels of Marco Polo' (also known as 'Il Milione'), which provided Europeans with one of their first comprehensive looks into the culture and inner workings of the Eastern world.