A 14^th Century document re-discovered by Professor Luca Molà, Director at the Warwick Venice Centre, is going on display at an exhibition at the Museum of Oriental Art in Venice.

The document has been restored by the Venice State Archives thanks to the financial contribution of The University of Warwick. It provides a rare insight into Venetian trade with Asia just years after the death of the famous traveller Marco Polo.

The ‘1338 From Venice to Delhi. Six Merchants on the Silk Roads’ exhibition, developed in collaboration with The University of Warwick, the Venice State Archives, and the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Veneto, features the original parchment, along with new research findings presented in a book that bring this remarkable journey to life.

Professor Luca Molà, said, “This is by far the most detailed document we have on the activities of Venetian merchants in Asia, ranging from China to India and involving the trade of goods from the whole Eurasian continent. The restoration of the parchment has ensured the survival of an extremely valuable cultural asset.”

The exhibition opens on 22^nd February, with contributions from scholars Luca Molà of Warwick and Marcello Bolognari from Ca’ Foscari University, as well as representatives from Italy’s cultural institutions and the Consulate General of India in Milan.

Professor Michael Scott, Pro-Vice Chancellor International said, “The University of Warwick Venice Centre has been active in the city since 1967. As part of the Venetian celebrations of the 700^th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo in 2024, we were proud to launch our own March Polo International Programme to highlight the power and importance of cultural exchange and engagement in the past and the present.

“I am delighted that the University could play such a fundamental role in the preservation and study of this crucial parchment as part of this programme. In so doing, we have not only ensured its survival for the future, but have also revealed how wider swathes of Venetian society supported the city’s global trade than had previously been suspected, as well as new insights into what it meant to trade with India in the 14^th century.”

The restored document provides an insightful testimony on six Venetian noble merchants who continued the journey of traveller Marco Polo in Asia in 1338. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of trade between Venice and Asia just a few years after Marco Polo’s death, painting a rich and complex picture of a “Middle Ages with open horizons.”

Dr Andrea Erboso, Director of the Venice State Archives, said “This exhibition is first and foremost an experiment: an invitation to immerse oneself in the world of archival research and study, guiding the visitor through an extraordinary story in the universe of the travelling merchants of Marco Polo's time.“The University and the Archives share the common aim to preserve history. The restoration and exhibition guarantees that people in the future can continue to study these types of historical documents.”

This video explains more about the restoration process and what new discoveries were made:

The restoration was undertaken as part of the University’s Marco Polo International Programme. The Programme brings students, researchers and local communities from Warwick and 35 other global institutions together in a series of events, research projects and educational initiatives designed to highlight the power, impact and importance of cultural exchange and engagement in the past and in the present.

For more information on the exhibition visit the Museum of Oriental Art website.

ENDS 

Notes to Editors

About the Warwick Venice Centre and Marco Polo International Programme
In 2024, the year marking the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo, the University of Warwick is proud to partner with 36 global institutions to launch the Marco Polo International Programme.

The Programme brings together researchers, students and local communities, in collaboration with many of our University partners around the globe, to push forward the boundaries of scholarship, discovery and engagement not just about Marco Polo, but also in relation to a number of explorers, goods and ideas, which have criss-crossed different parts of the world through time. The Programme as a result champions the power, importance and impact of cultural interaction, engagement and discovery- both in the past and in the present – and underlines Warwick’s ongoing commitment to creating connections across cultures and across the globe.

The University of Warwick also hosts a new home in the heart of historic Venice, which will benefit thousands of students, researchers and partners from all over the world.

Overlooking the Grand Canal, the space within the Palazzo Giustinian Lolin building is used as an all-year round centre for seminars, summer schools and degree modules.

 

The University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is one of the UK’s leading universities, marking its 60th anniversary in 2025. With over twenty-eight thousand students from 147 countries, it's currently ranked 9thin the UK by The Guardian University Guide. It has an acknowledged reputation for excellence in research and teaching, for innovation, and for links with business and industry. The recent Research Excellence Framework classed 92% of its research as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The University of Warwick was awarded Midlands University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times.