High Middle Ages · Europe · Exploration
1271
Marco Polo departs for the East
1271
The seventeen-year-old Venetian set out with his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo on a journey that would last twenty-four years. They carried a letter from the new pope, a phial of holy oil, and the intention of selling what they could along the Silk Road. Their route took them through Armenia, Persia, and the Pamir mountains before they finally descended into the vast plains of China.
Appears in
In context
Also in 1271 (3 other events on record)
- Kublai Khan proclaims the Yuan dynasty · East Asia · Politics
- Baibars captures Krak des Chevaliers · Middle East · War
- Edward of England on crusade at Acre · Middle East · War
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Exploration
Era
High Middle Ages (1000–1300), one of 1,306 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources