The source of the title Il Milione is debated. Economic historian Mark Elvin concludes that recent work 'demonstrates by specific example the ultimately overwhelming probability of the broad authenticity' of Polo's account, and that the book is, 'in essence, authentic, and, when used with care, in broad terms to be trusted as a serious though obviously not always final, witness.' History įurther information: Niccolò and Maffeo Polo Some have questioned whether Marco had actually travelled to China or was just repeating stories that he had heard from other travellers. A total of about 150 copies in various languages are known to exist, including in French, Tuscan, two versions in Venetian, and two different versions in Latin.įrom the beginning, there has been incredulity over Polo's sometimes fabulous stories, as well as a scholarly debate in recent times. The book was translated into many European languages in Marco Polo's own lifetime, but the original manuscripts are now lost, and their reconstruction is a matter of textual criticism. It was originally known as Livre des Merveilles du Monde or Devisement du Monde (' Description of the World'). Rustichello wrote it in Franco-Venetian, a literary language widespread in northern Italy between the subalpine belt and the lower Po between the 13th and 15th centuries. The book was written by romance writer Rustichello da Pisa, who worked from accounts which he had heard from Marco Polo when they were imprisoned together in Genoa.

It describes Polo's travels through Asia between 12, and his experiences at the court of Kublai Khan. 'The Million', deriving from Polo's nickname 'Emilione'), in English commonly called The Travels of Marco Polo, is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa from stories told by Italian explorer Marco Polo. Book of the Marvels of the World ( Italian: Il Milione, lit.

The history of marco polo