The Journey of Benedictus Polonus or a European Discovery of Asia before Marco Polo
Journal: Homo Politicus (Academy of Humanities and Economics in Lodz)
Year: 2019

This article presents a brief reconstruction of the historic journey of Benedict the Pole and John of Pian de Carpine, the first known Europeans after A.D. 900 who completed a successful return journey east of Baghdad and gave surviving accounts of their travels. The article, which focuses mainly on the role of Benedict the Pole, is divided into five parts: the reasons and organization of the deputation sent to the Mongols by Pope Innocent IV from 1245-1248, the route travelled by the Papal envo