Milion
Il Milione, also known as The Travels of Marco Polo, is a travelogue by Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant and explorer, written in the late 13th century in collaboration with Rustichella of Pisa.
The work, written during Polo's imprisonment in Genoa in 1298–1299, describes his travels through Asia from 1271 to 1295, including a stay at the court of Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire.
The book details Polo's experiences through Persia, Central Asia, and China, providing descriptions of unfamiliar cultures, customs, natural resources, and cities along the Silk Road. Polo describes the splendor of Kublai Khan's court, Chinese cities such as Hangzhou, as well as exotic phenomena such as paper money, coal, and the postal system. The work also includes stories about India, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa, based on his own observations and the stories of other travelers.
Il Milione is structured as a series of episodes, combining factual descriptions with elements of legend, which raised doubts about its authenticity in Polo's time. Nevertheless, the book had a significant impact on European understanding of the East, inspiring explorers such as Columbus. Written in Old French, it was later translated into numerous languages, and the manuscripts varied in content.
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