Marco Polo (/ˈmɑːrkoʊˈpoʊloʊ/; Italian pronunciation:[ˈmarko ˈpɔːlo]; 1254–January 8–9, 1324) was a Venetian merchant traveller whose travels are recorded in Livres des merveilles du monde (Book of the Marvels of the World, also known as The Travels of Marco Polo, c. 1300), a book that introduced Europeans to Central Asia and China.