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Secondary sourcePainting

Niccolò and Maffeo Polo with Gregory X

Unknown

A manuscript miniature showing Marco Polo's father and uncle receiving papal letters for the Great Khan, the mission that began Marco's journey.

This scene shows the papal mission given to Marco Polo's father and uncle that led directly to Marco's own journey to Asia.

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Medieval manuscript miniature: a seated pope in white robes and a tall gilded mitre sits under a red canopy, flanked by two standing red-hatted attendants. Two kneeling men in white robes offer him a folded letter; a small tree and green grass fill the background.
Unknown artist, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo with Gregory X, from Livre des Merveilles du Monde.

About this source

What it is

This miniature, from a copy of the Livre des Merveilles du Monde, shows Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, Marco Polo's father and uncle, kneeling before Pope Gregory X to receive letters intended for the Mongol Khan. Its artist is unknown.

Why it matters

This scene illustrates the diplomatic errand that set the stage for Marco Polo's own famous journey to Asia: his father and uncle had already traveled there once and returned with a request from the Khan for the Pope's help, leading to this second expedition, which young Marco joined. It shows how Polo's travels were tied up with religious and diplomatic politics between Europe and the Mongol world.

Look closer

  • Why would a pope be involved in sending letters to a Mongol ruler?
  • What does the kneeling pose suggest about the relationship between the Polos and the pope?
  • How might this one diplomatic errand have changed the course of Marco Polo's life?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marco Polo on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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