Twelve months of conferences, exhibitions, sports events, multimedia productions, school activities, and numerous other initiatives to celebrate the life of a Venetian who, for his extraordinary achievements, remains one of the most renowned figures in the history of the Serenissima. From January to December 2024, Venice and many other cities in Italy and around the world paid tribute to Marco Polo on the 700th anniversary of his death.
On Monday, January 20, starting at 9:30 a.m., the conference "Marco Polo 700. A Year of Celebrations" will be held at Ca’ Vendramin Calergi. This event will present the projects that have, over the past months, narrated the story of the famous Venetian merchant. Venice's Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, alongside various institutional representatives from local organizations that enriched the 2024 celebrations calendar, will illustrate the work accomplished so far. The program includes a series of presentations and testimonies from some of the most significant projects carried out during this period.
Participation is free, subject to seating availability, and requires registration at rsvp-cerimoniale@comune.venezia.it.
"The past year has reinvigorated numerous studies on Marco Polo, which, combined with exhibitions, events, school activities, seminars, and in-depth studies, have led to new and important discoveries about the life and deeds of one of the protagonists of our city’s history," stated Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. "On January 20, we want to share with the citizens of Venice and the public the extensive work done so far, which will continue, presenting testimonials from those who have taken up the challenge and honored the Venetian merchant. It will also be an opportunity to pass the baton to another key figure in our history, Giacomo Casanova, who will be the protagonist of the 2025 edition of the Venice Carnival starting in February."
Supporting the celebrations of Marco Polo’s 700th anniversary, on December 29, 2023, the National Committee for the celebrations was established by decree of the Ministry of Culture, following a request from the Municipality and Venice’s University. Proposed by Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and chaired by Rector Tiziana Lippiello as the Scientific Committee Chair and Project Coordinator, the committee will remain active in 2025 and 2026. Throughout 2024, the City of Venice hosted a rich calendar of events in collaboration with numerous local, national, and international associations.
During the January 20 conference, participants will hear testimonies from organizations such as Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Teatro La Fenice Foundation, La Biennale di Venezia, and the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. To date, 161 projects dedicated to Marco Polo have been approved, taking place in cities such as Conegliano (TV), Treviso, Rovigo, Verona, Cortina (BL), Jesolo (VE), Padua, Udine, Pisa, Ancona, Lecco, Costacciaro (PG), Mantua, Tolentino (MC), Rome, Altamura (BA), Spello (PG), Gallipoli (LE), Genoa, Venaria (TO), Ferrara, Padua, Mendoza (Argentina), Innsbruck (Austria), Bucharest (Romania), Munich (Germany), Lyon (France), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Beijing (China).
In particular, there has been a strong collaboration with Suzhou, China, a city tied to Venice by a twinning agreement signed on March 24, 1980, aimed at fostering friendship between the two cities’ populations.
The Marco Polo celebrations will continue in 2025 and 2026, with the list of initiatives expected to expand. On the official website, www.leviedimarcopolo.it, available in English and Chinese, a dedicated section allows public and private entities with a historical connection to Marco Polo to submit proposals for inclusion in the event calendar.
