The Medieval Chinese Origins of Venice’s Winged Lion Revealed
Venice’s most famous symbol may not be Venetian at all. A new study reveals that the Winged Lion of St. Mark began life in Tang Dynasty China before being transformed into the emblem of the medieval Republic.
Marco Polo and his World with Sharon Kinoshita
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Sharon Kinoshita about why Marco travelled so far, what sort of detail he wanted to share with his readers, and what was going on in the world around him.
New Medieval Books: Marco Polo and His World
Marco Polo’s account of his journey to Asia is one of the most well-known texts to come out of the Middle Ages. This book explores the people, places, and wonders that Polo described in his writings.
Historian discovers Marco Polo had another daughter
It is well-known that Marco Polo had three daughters after he returned from travels across Asia. Now, a document discovered in the States Archives of Venice has revealed another daughter named Agnese Polo, who was born before Marco’s marriage to Donata Badoer.
Marco Polo on the Mongol State: Taxation, Predation, and Monopolization
The aim of this article is to bring attention to Marco Polo’s descriptions of economic and political features of the Mongol empire that are especially meaningful when viewed through the lens of Austrian economics.
Perceptions of Hot Climate in Medieval Cosmography and Travel Literature
This article is an attempt to examine bow climate, especially hot weather in exotic locations, was viewed by European travellers and writers in the middle ages.
How Well Do You Know The Travels of Marco Polo?
It is one of the most famous works of the Middle Ages, but how well do you know this book?
Netflix’s Marco Polo – Review of Season 1
The Netflix original series Marco Polo premiered on December 12th to mostly negative reviews. Here is why you should ignore them and give it a try.
Small Talk: A New Reading of Marco Polo’s Il milione
It is perhaps not that surprising that we find the narrative pattern reflected in Il milione conforms nicely to the expectations of the Chinese genre of small talk.
Netflix goes epic with Marco Polo
Netflix is making a bold gamble – reportedly a $90 million (US) gamble – with their newest series, Marco Polo. The ten-episode first season is being released to their subscribers Friday.
Did Marco Polo go to Alaska?
A set of documents, brought to United States by an Italian immigrant, may reveal new details about Marco Polo’s travels in Asia, including that he possibly explored and mapped Alaska.
Real and imaginary journeys in the later Middle Ages
For a proper understanding of the actions of men in the past it is necessary to have some idea of how they conceived the world and their place in it, yet for the medieval period there is a serious inbalance in the sources.
In Our Time: Marco Polo
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the celebrated Venetian explorer Marco Polo.
The Quest for Prester John
The legend of Prester John is one of the most fascinating and powerful myths of all time. To say that Medieval Europeans knew little about the world outside of their native continent is truly an understatement. It was an age in which much was assumed rather than ascertained about the exotic lands beyond.
Marco Polo really did go to China, new study finds
A thorough new study of Chinese sources by University of Tübingen Sinologist Hans Ulrich Vogel dispels claims that Venice’s most famous traveler never truly went as far as China.
