Italians to retrace Marco Polo trip to China
12/3/2007 16:01
Italy is to retrace the classic journey that took Venetian explorer Marco
Polo on horseback to China, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
A team of
horsemen from the Italian central city Perugia is gearing up to retrace the
Venetian explorer's route along the ancient Silk Road, using the same kind of
horses Marco Polo did on his historic journey to the great 13th-century Mongol
emperor Kublai Khan.
"We'll face the same kind of challenges our illustrious
predecessor did, traveling over extremely varied terrain: plains, valleys, high
mountain tracks and deserts," said the leader of the expedition, Piero
Lapiana.
The expedition includes veterinary researchers from Perugia
University who will gauge how the horses perform on the various stages of the
mission, crossing 16 countries in 15 months starting this autumn.
The horses
will be the hardy "maremma" breed, from the marshlands of Lazio and southern
Tuscany -- similar to the tough pack-horses used by Marco Polo, his brother
Maffeo and father Niccolo'.
Before the expedition sets out, they will be
trained to tackle rough terrain by experts from Perugia University's Equestrian
Studies Center.
The team, which will include a surgeon, a photographer and a
staff of vets, will also conduct research on the various horse breeds to be
found along the route today.
Marco Polo is widely remembered as the first
Westerner to reach China, but he was in fact preceded by his father and brother,
also Venetian traders, who met the Khan in 1266.
The teenage Polo joined them
on a second journey in 1271.
He became a favorite of the Khan, who employed
him on trade and diplomatic missions for 17 years.
Overall, Marco Polo spent
24 years in the East, recording his adventures in the famous book Il
Milione.
Xinhua
|
