Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Event
By Fang Jingyi
Marco Polo, the famous European traveler and explorer from Venice, praised Hangzhou as “the finest and most splendid city in the world”. Centuries later, a major exhibition commemorating the 700th anniversary of his death is being held in Hangzhou.
Titled “Viaggio di Conoscenze: ‘Il Milione’ di Marco Polo e la Sua Eredità fra Oriente e Occidente”, the exhibition also marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Italy.
The exhibition kicked off on May 8 at the China Design Museum of China Academy of Art, which highlights the legacy of cross-cultural exchange between China and Italy and explores the enduring global impact of this extraordinary voyage. It features 84 rare artifacts from 11 Italian museums and institutions, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glassware, jewelry, textiles, and richly illustrated pages from The Travels of Marco Polo.
The exhibition allows visitors to experience the dramatic landscapes of the Silk Road through the eyes of Marco Polo and his fellow explorers. It is organized into six thematic chapters, tracing Marco Polo’s travels and the broader East-West exchanges of the 13th and 14th centuries. From Venice’s ambitious expansion and Polo’s departure eastward, to missionaries and merchants journeying deep into Asia and recording their discoveries, and to the booming trade, military innovations, and geographic knowledge spread along the Silk Road, the exhibition presents a vivid picture of a world coming into connection. The Travels of Marco Polo stands as the record of one man’s adventures and as medieval Europe’s gateway to understanding the East.
A special highlight is the display of new illustrations by Italian artist Emanuele Luzzati, offering a unique artistic interpretation of Marco Polo’s fantastical journey. In its final section, the exhibition employs virtual reality technology to create an immersive experience. It takes visitors to follow Marco Polo from Venice to China in a 360-degree visual landscape.
Time: May 8 to July 31
Venue: China Design Museum of China Academy of Art, #352, Xiangshan Road