As part of the celebrations of the seventh centenary of Marco Polo’s death (1324-2024) and the 770th anniversary of his birth (1254-2024), the exhibition “Wonders of the World. China and Beyond in the Eyes of Marco Polo” (Shanghai Museum, 22 November 2024 – 30 March 2025) will be inaugurated in the presence of the Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, Tiziana D’Angelo, and the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai, Francesco D’Arelli.
The exhibition, curated by Francesco D’Arelli and Wang Yue, Director of the Department of Bronzes of the Shanghai Museum, was conceived with the support of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai and with the collaboration of the Instituto della Enciclopedia Italiana-Treccani, the Cà Foscari University of Venice, the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, the Vatican Apostolic Library (Vatican City), the National Central Library of Florence, the Marciana National Library of Venice and the Procuratoria di San Marco (Treasury of San Marco) in Venice.
The exhibition is inspired by Marco Polo’s story “The Million”, proposing an imaginary journey from the capital Yuan, Dadu (Khanbaligh), to Venice, passing through Quanzhou. Through four sections, the itinerary reveals the wonders narrated by Marco Polo, including landscapes, nature, human works and cultural and religious traditions, thanks to archaeological finds and documents also from Italy.