Known for his great travels deep into East Asia along the Silk Road, Marco Polo remains one of history’s most famous explorers. Still, there are some facts about this great adventurer that even some historians may not have realized. Here are some adventurous facts about the famed explorer Marco Polo.
Jailhouse Rock
Marco Polo’s remarkable story remains immortalized in his journal, aptly named The Travels of Marco Polo. But while this is widely known, a little-known fact about his famed works is that he actually wrote this book while in jail. Captured after leading a Venetian galley into battle against the city of Genoa, Polo was imprisoned alongside Rustichello of Pisa; a talented romance writer. Eager to document his travels, Polo recruited his cellmate as his ghostwriter.
Traveling With Strangers
Having embarked on his journey alongside his father and uncle, one would have expected Marco Polo to have a decent relationship with them. Intriguingly, his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo had been on a trading excursion, only to return when Marco Polo was 15 years old. Despite hardly knowing them, he agreed to join his uncle and father for another trip to the Far East, traveling Asia for 20 years.
The Khan’s Envoy
While the Polos were specialist merchants who dealt with items such as gems, silk, and spices, their travels also opened up other opportunities. The trio were recruited as emissaries for the great Mongol emperor Kublai Kahn. Upon forming a close bond with the Kahn, Polo received the role of special messenger and tax collector in China and Southeast Asia.