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Italian expedition to follow Marco Polo

PERUGIA, Italy (UPI) -- An Italian expedition plans to retrace the route that Marco Polo took to China, using the same type of horses on the Silk Road.

"We'll face the same kind of challenges our illustrious predecessor did, traveling over extremely varied terrain: plains, valleys, high mountain tracks and deserts," Piero Lapiana, the expedition's leader, told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Veterinarians from Perugia University will be in the group to study how the horses perform. They will be prepared at the university to handle the rough conditions they can expect in Asia.

The horses to be used are of the "maremmana" breed, which are believed to be similar to the pack horses Marco Polo used.

Marco Polo's father and brother actually made the rough journey to the court of Kublai Khan in 1266. He joined them on a second trip in 1271.

The expedition is expected to take about 15 months.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 03/07/2007

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