Marco Polo, the Book, and the Dominicans

Abstract

The first evident connections between Marco Polo and members of the Dominican order were made when he began traveling to the East with his father, his uncle, and two Dominicans who rapidly turned back. Despite this unlucky episode, the Dominicans have played an important role in the diffusion and reception of the Divisament dou monde (i.e., the Book of Marco Polo). The Latin translation made by the friar Francesco Pipino of Bologna became the most disseminated version of the book and the first Latin version to be printed. We can deduce that another version is also of Dominican origin. Archival documents attest to links between Marco Polo and the Venetian Dominicans. Members of the Order of the Preachers, who quickly manifested a strong interest in the book, are also responsible for circulating the text in their preaching and teaching, not only across Italy but also in France and England. This essay highlights the connections among Marco Polo, his book, and the Dominicans by combining approaches based on codicology, diplomatics, history, philology, religion, and art history.