Marco Polo had a daughter out of wedlock

Evidence indicating that Marco Polo had an extramarital child has been discovered by a researcher in Venice. Agnese is thought to have been born sometime between 1295, the year the merchant and explorer arrived back in Venice after spending more than two decades exploring Asia, and 1298, the year he was imprisoned in Genoa for his participation in a naval battle between the two cities.

When Polo was released from prison after serving a year, he returned to Venice and wed Donata Badoer, with whom he had three additional daughters. Polo also wrote a book about his travels that went on to become one of the first bestsellers in history.

There are "hints of Agnese's existence" in other Polo family documents, according to Marcello Bologna, a Ph.D. student at Ca' Foscari University in Venice, but her last will, which was recently found in Venice's state archive, offers convincing proof that the explorer was her father. The document, which was created on July 7, 1319, reveals that Agnese, who passed away in her early 20s, had given her father, Polo, the responsibility of delivering her will to Pietro Pagano at the church of San Felice in the San Giovanni Grisostomo district of Venice. “We know for sure he had three daughters and this document reflects that most probably he had another daughter from a previous relationship,” said Bologna. “We don’t know if he had been married before his second marriage or if the child was born from an affair.”

According to Bologna, the fact that Agnese had given Polo access to her will was evidence that he was aware of her existence and that they had a "strong and trusting relationship." Bolognari claimed that the absence of Agnese's mention of her mother in her will may have indicated that the woman had passed away. He noted that Agnese did a good job of capturing "an intimate and affectionate family life." She had two young children and was married.