Rustichello

Rustichello da Pisa was a 13th-century Italian writer and chronicler best known for his collaboration with Marco Polo during the latter's imprisonment in Genoa. Born in Pisa around 1240, Rustichello was already an established writer when he met Polo in the 1290s, having previously authored romance novels and chronicles in the Franco-Italian language.

His most significant contribution to literature came through his partnership with Marco Polo. While Polo possessed the travel experiences and stories from his journeys to Asia, he lacked the literary skills and language proficiency to record them effectively. Rustichello, fluent in French and experienced in narrative writing, served as the scribe and editor who transformed Polo's accounts into the famous work known as "Il Milione" or "The Travels of Marco Polo."

The collaboration occurred during Polo's imprisonment in Genoa following a naval battle between Venice and Genoa in 1298. Working together in confinement, the two men produced a detailed account of Polo's travels across Asia, including descriptions of China, India, and the Mongol Empire. Rustichello's literary expertise helped shape the narrative structure and flow of the work, making it accessible to European audiences of the time.

Beyond his work with Polo, Rustichello wrote several romance novels, including "Fior de battaglie" and various Arthurian tales. His writing style reflected the literary conventions of medieval romance, which influenced how he presented Polo's factual accounts to make them more engaging for contemporary readers.

Rustichello's role in preserving and presenting Marco Polo's travels proved crucial for European understanding of Asian cultures and geography. The resulting book became one of the most influential travel narratives in medieval Europe, inspiring future explorers and contributing significantly to geographical knowledge of the time. He died around 1300 in Pisa.