Description
Book Synopsis700 years after Dante Alighieri's death, this book intertwines the voice of the great poet with that of an exceptional contemporary, Marco Polo, who was equally curious about the geography of both earthly and celestial worlds. If Polo was the “ordinary genius” of the XIII century, the designation of “sorcerer genius” must go to Alighieri, the man with encyclopedic wisdom, at ease with his era’s philosophy, theology, and science. The sorcerer genius—well versed in this world—must create their own, which he did with The Divine Comedy. On the other hand, The Travels of Marco Polo, the greatest classic in travel literature, offers wonder and provides delight. This book combines the unforgettable characters of both books, the darkness of the infernal landscapes with the immensity of the Asian deserts, the richness of the Mongol empire with the glamor of medieval philosophy, the aspirations and dreams of two great explorers with knowledge of the science of their time, as well as the ever-eternal cosmology. This is an accessible and entertaining book for high school students, scholars of scientific history and the history of ideas, and curious readers who want to know more about Dante and Marco Polo and their unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
This book is a translation of an original Italian edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.
Table of ContentsContents
Prologue
The Merchant and the Poet1. Ordinary geniuses and sorcerers2. The gigantic crystal3. The enigma of the lost manuscript4. The disease of writing5. In the darkness of Hell6. The hill of Purgatory7. The light of Heaven8. The troubles of Botticelli9. A non-existent book10. Diplomatic missions11. The art of traveling12. The endless quarrels
Venice and Florence1. The opening of the thirteenth century2. The world seen from Rialto3. An extraordinary republic4. The horses of San Marco5. The art of wool6. At the roots of hatred8. International intrigue9. "How other people's bread tastes like salt"
The astrolabe and the compass1. It all began in Jerusalem2. The shadow of an ancient master3. Behind the scenes4. In the heart of Tartaria5. The noble castle6. Pax Mongolian7. Francesca or love and sin8. The women of the far East9. Monsters, animals and giants10. The ineffable Presten John11. Travelers in the stubborn and opposite direction12. The sect of the Assassins13. The Southern Cross14. In the footsteps of Alexander the Great15. The purgatory fire16. The miracle of the mountain17. Dreams, prayers and numbers18. Round trip from Hormuz19. Flowers and trees, light and fire20. The highest place in the world21. The elements, the ether and trasumanar22. The Silk Road23. Light, dance and music24. At the court of the Great Khan25. The question to the eagle26. The discovery of Asia27. Medieval cleverness28. The white rose of the blessed29. The long goodbye
