Travels Of Marco Polo: Five

In the last Section Polo brothers had been returning from the country of Kublai Khan; they were now returning as the representatives of Kublai Khan to Pope. They arrived at Laias, now a locality in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Yerevan is one of the earliest places of human settlements. Laias, the toponym is not visible as a locality now in Google Maps, even though it remains as surname.

Leaving Laias in April 1269, the brothers arrived at Acre, where they learnt that his holiness, Clement lV was dead. They therefore went to Theobald, viscount of Piacenza, who resided there as legate of the apostolical sce, and was a man of high authority and virtue. They related to him the cause why they wished to visit the supreme pontiff. He was struck with admiration, and revolving in his mind, that the Holy Roman church and the Christian faith might hence derive the greatest benefit, advised them to wait till another pope should be named, to whom they would deliver their embassy. They therefore determined to spend the interval in visiting their families at Venice. Leaving Acre they proceeded to Negropont, and from there to their native city. At home Nicole found that, his wife whom he left pregnant, had died, leaving his son named Marco, the same who wrote this account.

Waiting appointment of another pope, the travellers spent two full years in Venice.

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1. Acre: A coastal city in Israel, also known as Akka or Akko. It is one of the oldest settlements.

2. Negropont: Greek island of Euboea. 13th to 19th century it was called Negropont. The name may have come from the Greek word Egripos, a corruption of the word Evripus.

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