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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
RELIQUES OF MARCO POLO 79
probable, though perhaps an illegitimate one), he is the only male
descendant of old Andrea of San Felice whom we can indicate as
having survived Marco himself ; and from a study of the links in
the professed genealogies I think it not unlikely that both Marco
the Castellano of Verona and Maria Trevisan belonged to the
branch of S. Geremia.* [See vol. ii., App. C, p. 510.]
[49. bis. It is interesting to note some of the reliques left
by our traveller.
I. The unfortunate Doge of Venice, Marino Faliero, seems to
have possessed many souvenirs of Marco Polo, and among them
two manuscripts, one in the handwriting of his celebrated fellow-
citizen (?)‚ and one adorned with miniatures. M. Julius von
Schlosser has reprinted (Die ältestelz Medaillen und die Antike,
Bd. XVIII., Jalz;-b. d. Kunsthist. Samml. d. Allerhöchsten
Kaiserhauses, Vienna, 1897, pp. 42-43) from the Bulletino di arti,
industrie e curiosità veneziane, I I I., 188o-81, p. i o r , t the inventory
of the curiosities kept in the " Red Chamber " of Marino Faliero's
palace in the Parish of the SS. Apostles ; we give the following
abstract of it
Anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Jesu Christi 1351° indictione sexta
* In Appendix B will be found tabulated all the facts that seem to be positively ascertained as to the Polo genealogies.
In the Venetian archives occurs a procuration executed by the Doge in favour of the Nobilis Tir SER MARCO PAULO that he may present himself before the king of Sicily ; under date, Venice 9th November, 1342. And some years later we have in the Sicilian Archives an order by King Lewis of Sicily, directed to the Maestri Procuratori of Messina, which grants to MARCO Polo of Venice, on account of services rendered to the king's court, the privilege of free import and export at the port of Messina, without payment of customs of goods to the amount annually of 20 ounces. Dated in Catania 13th January, 1346 (1347 ?)•
For the former notice I am indebted to the courtesy of Signor B. Cecchetti of the Venetian Archives, who cites it as " transcribed in the Conzmemor. IV. p. 5 " ; for the latter to that of the Abate Carini of the Reale Archivio at Palermo ; it is in Archivio della Regia Ca;zcellaria 1343-1357, f. 58.
The mission of this MARCO POLO is mentioned also in a rescript of the Sicilian king Peter II., dated Messina, 14th November, 134o, in reference to certain claims of Venice, about which the said Marco appeared as the Doge's ambassador. This is printed in F. TESTA, De VI12 et Rebus Gestis Federici II., Sicilia. Regis, Panormi, 1775, PP• 267 seqq. The Sicilian Antiquary Rosario Gregorio identifies the Envoy with our Marco, dead long before. (See Opere scelte del Canon Ros. Grego;io,
Palermo, 1845, 3za ediz., p. 352.)
It is possible that this Marco, who from the latter notice seems to have been engaged in mercantile affairs, may have been the Marcolino above mentioned, but it is perhaps on the whole more probable that this nobilis vir is the Marco spoken of
in the note at p. 74.
t La Collezione dd Doge Marin Faliero e i Tesori di Marco Polo, pp. 98-103. I
have seen this article.---1-1. Ç.
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