When people hear the name "Polo," the immediate association is often with Marco Polo, the Venetian explorer whose 13th-century travels to Asia helped bridge Europe and the East in the age of exploration. However, the story of the Polo family is far richer and older than Marco’s famed journeys. Long before Marco Polo set out on his epic expedition

While Marco Polo is most famously associated with Venice, his story cannot be fully appreciated without understanding the broader political and commercial rivalry between Venice and Genoa. Both cities were fierce competitors for control over trade routes in the Mediterranean and beyond. Genoa, with its formidable navy and strategic ports, was instr

Nestled in the heart of Genoa, the Palazzo Tursi stands as one of the city’s most distinguished historical landmarks. Among its many artistic treasures, the mosaic of Marco Polo is a remarkable tribute that links the grandeur of Genoa’s maritime past with the legendary figure of the Venetian explorer who opened the East to Europe. This mosaic n

Marco Polo’s travels helped pave the way for the Age of Discovery by expanding European geographical knowledge. His accounts contributed to a greater European interest in Asian goods such as silk, spices, and precious metals, encouraging maritime exploration. The book also played a role in the eventual opening of trade routes between Europe an