Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant and explorer whose travels along the Silk Road to China and years serving in the court of Kublai Khan introduced medieval Europe to the wonders of Asia.
Polo set out from Venice in 1271 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along the Silk Road to reach the court of Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire, in China, a journey of several years.
He reportedly spent nearly two decades in Asia, serving in various capacities under Kublai Khan and traveling extensively throughout the Mongol Empire before returning to Venice in 1295.
His accounts of his travels, dictated while imprisoned during a war between Venice and Genoa, were compiled into a book known as The Travels of Marco Polo, which became one of the most influential travel accounts in history, inspiring later European explorers including Christopher Columbus.