They start to Venezia the celebrations for the 700 years since the death of Marco Polo occurred in January 1324. An important anniversary that serves to bring to mind, especially among the younger generations, the deeds of the great MVenetian merchant and traveller and his Million considered the first reliable and complete account of the East and the first contribution to mutual knowledge between Asia and Europe. And which will be divided into a three years of appointments, with initiatives also planned in 2025 and 2026.
Trip to Venice, in the footsteps of Marco Polo
by Raffaele Oriani
But let’s go in order and try to take a look at the many initiatives of a scientific, exhibition, literary and cultural nature, for which a decree from the Ministry of Culture has been recognized National Committee for Celebrations and which can be followed by consulting the dedicated website leviedimarcopolo.it and also through the social channels of Venezia Serenissima (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and Threads).
The exhibitions
The highlight of the celebrations is the exhibition hosted at Ducal Palace from 6 April to 29 September, The worlds of Marco Polo. The journey of a Venetian merchant in the thirteenth century. A journey within a journey because between the rooms of Palazzo Ducale, through beyond 300 works coming from Venetian collections, from major Italian and European institutions and from loans of treasures from the East (from museums ofArmenia, from the Chinese, of the Qatar he was born in Canada), it will be possible to retrace the physical, political and human geography of Marco Polo’s encounters in Asia, at the center of Il Milione, with an in-depth study dedicated precisely to the global success of his literary work between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, up to the suggestions of the figure of the merchant and his adventure in contemporary art. An exhibition that also wants to remember the value of cultural inclusiveness of travel, openness, curiosity towards knowledge and towards what is other than us, which is still of great relevance today.
The first appointment in order of time, however, is at Palazzo Mocenigo Museum, which opens to the public from January 11th with The Axis of Time: Silk Garment Fabrics from Suzhou where original creations, fabrics and replicas of ancient clothes tell the story of the thousand-year-old technique that made silk from the Jiangnan region famous, admired and mentioned by Polo.
Always Mocenigo Palace will host a selection of from 29 April to 30 September stage clothes and sketches taken from the Rai drama on Marco Polo from 1982, which saw international participation, including China itself. Made in 8 episodes and broadcast on Rai1 between 1982 and 1983, it told the existential story of the Venetian traveler and merchant with historical care, directed by Giuliano Montaldo and an international cast including Kenneth Marshall, Denholm Elliott, Burt Lancaster and Tony Vogel.
The appointment with thecalligraphic artwith masterclasses and the exhibition in the Sala delle Quattro Porte of Running Museum Journey through writings: the calligraphic cultures encountered by Marco Polo.
From 27 January to 13 February Marco Polo also becomes the protagonist of Venice Carnival which celebrates it with “To the East. The amazing journey of Marco Polo”bringing to the streets, fields and squares of the city the theme of travel, discovery and encounters with previously only imagined worlds, but also travel understood as a journey in search of oneself.
The conferences
Not just exhibitions, though. Me too’Ca’ Foscari University actively takes part in the celebrations to allow you to rediscover the historical figure Marco Polo beyond the legendary aspects for which he is universally known. We start already this week, Thursday 11 January in the Aula Magna Silvio Trentin, with the conference Italy-China cultural relations in the year of Marco Polo celebrationswhich will feature a speech by Massimo Ambrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to the People’s Republic of China.
Among the first events of the rich calendar also the two days of conference by title Marco Polo’s Venice. The Poliano Diplomatic Code (1288-1380)scheduled for Thursday 25 and Friday 26 January and organized by the Veneto Institute of Sciences, Letters and Arts.
There are also many events on the Ca’ Foscari calendar to reflect on the life and work of Marco Polo in an intense scientific and cultural program: the Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival, Incroci di Civiltà International Literature Festival it’s a international conference of philological and historical-cultural studies on Marco Polo to take stock of the state of the work and studies connected to the figure and book of Marco Polo.
A Ca’ Foscari Exhibitions, in the university’s headquarters, an exhibition of artefacts from the university’s museum collection will be held in April.Uzbekistan. Finally the exhibition Marco Polo’s clothes and the traditional silk clothes of Suzhou – Exhibition of traditional and historical clothes from Marco Polo’s two cities: Suzhou and Venice it will be an opportunity for comparison and dialogue between two geographically distant cultures, but united by the wise and precious art of textile production.
The books
On the occasion of the official celebrations for the 700 years since the death of Marco Polo, theCa’ Foscari University of Venice also dedicates numerous scientific contributions to the figure of the Venetian traveller. Among these the first digital edition in English of the Milione text, Digital Edition of the Devisement du Mondepublished by Edizioni Ca’ Foscari – Venice University Press, under the direction of Eugenio Burgio, due out in September 2024.
Coming out in March, from the Carocci publishing house, Marco Polo, history and myth of a journey and a bookedited by Eugenio Burgio and Samuela Simion which collects 18 essays on the figure of the Venetian traveller, many of which by Ca’ Foscari teachers.
Also under the direction of Eugenio Burgio and Antonio Montefusco, a volume will be published in April by the Treccani publishing house with the facsimile of one of the most important witnesses of the Milione in French, a manuscript from the early 16th century magnificently preserved at the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal illustrated with 190 miniatures of the time. It will be an integral photographic reproduction in the same format as the manuscript which will be accompanied by the edition of the text and the commentary with numerous essays.
Eugenio Burgio and Antonio Montefusco they are also the professors who coordinate the research group of Ca’ Foscari University which found in 2022 the will of Agnese Polo, a still unknown daughter of Marco Polo, dated 1319 and entrusted to her father. In fact, until now she was Marco Polo’s best-known daughter Fantina Polo, worthy descendant of the Venetian traveller, strong and determined who does not hesitate to go to court to claim the inheritance left to her by her father. But the documents also tell us another story and reveal the existence of Agnese, born before Marco Polo’s marriage to Donata Badoer from which, as is known, Fantina, Bellela and Moreta were born. At the time of her will Agnese must have been around 23-24 years old, she was the mother of three children who are mentioned by name in the document, now found in theState Archives of Veniceand dying prematurely she left her husband and entrusted her last wishes to her father, who survived her.
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– 2024-04-22 06:01:31
