Marco Polo and the encounter of east and west

Published in 2008 by the University of Toronto Press, this volume serves as a scholarly exploration of Marco Polo’s Travels and the complex cultural intersections between the East and the West during the medieval period. Edited by Amilcare A. Iannucci, a respected scholar of Italian studies and Dante Alighieri, the collection emerged from interdisciplinary research aimed at re-evaluating Polo’s narrative not merely as a travelogue, but as a foundational text in the development of Western perceptions of the Orient.

The book brings together essays from a variety of academic perspectives, including history, literature, and geography. Iannucci intended the volume to bridge the gap between traditional historiography and modern cultural studies. The work was well received within academic circles for its rigorous approach to the manuscript traditions of Polo's work and its insightful analysis of how medieval Europe constructed its identity through the lens of contact with the Mongol Empire.