WEBBibliography. Further reading. External links. Marco Polo ( / ˈmɑːrkoʊ ˈpoʊloʊ / ⓘ, Venetian: [ˈmaɾko ˈpolo], Italian: [ˈmarko ˈpɔːlo] ⓘ; c. 1254 – 8 January 1324) [1] was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295.