The three Venetians returned to their native city by sea in 1292-95. He then spent 17 years serving Kublai Khan (1215-94), grandson of Genghis Khan and conqueror of China, for whom he undertook assignments in China as well as in South and Southeast Asia. Accompanied by his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, Marco Polo travelled overland to China in 1271-75. It was sold to Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-89) in 1650. Later it was part of the library of the French book collector Alexandre Petau.
It is possibly one of five manuscripts relating to Marco Polo's journey that belonged to King Charles V of France (reigned 1364-80). To learn more about Marco Polo, separate fact from fiction, and access classroom materials, click here.This manuscript from about 1350 is one of the oldest extant copies of Les voyages de Marco Polo (The travels of Marco Polo), the account by the Venetian merchant Marco Polo (circa 1254-1324) of his adventures in Central Asia and the Far East during the latter part of the 13th century. Merchants come thither from India, with ships loaded with spicery and precious stones, pearls, cloths of silk and gold, elephants' teeth, and many other wares, which they sell to the merchants of Hormos, and which these in turn carry all over the world to dispose of again. When you have ridden these two days you come to the Ocean Sea, and on the shore you find a city with a harbour which is called HORMOS.
There are also many beautiful birds, francolins, popinjays, and other kinds such as we have none of in our country. This extends for two days' journey and you find in it fine streams of water with plenty of date-palms and other fruit-trees. When you have got to the foot of this descent you find another beautiful plain called the PLAIN OF FORMOSA. “The Plain of which we have spoken extends in a southerly direction for five days' journey, and then you come to another descent some twenty miles in length, where the road is very bad and full of peril, for there are many robbers and bad characters about. The book The Travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1, describes travelling along the Silk Road in what was then Persia but is today’s country of Iran:
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