On the occasion of the Nishan Forum on Classical Civilisation, held in Qufu from 7 to 11 July 2024, Guicciardo Sassoli de’ Bianchi Strozzi delivered a keynote speech entitled Dialogue and References to the Classics in the Exhibition: Journey of Knowledge. “The Travels of Marco Polo” and its Legacy between East and West.

The talk explored the references to classical civilisations in the exhibition A Journey of Knowledge: “The Travels of Marco Polo” and Its Legacy between East and West, highlighting the value of the famous Venetian traveller’s experience as a testimony to cultural exchange between East and West and as an opportunity to reflect on the historical relations between Italy and China.

The Forum brought together international scholars, academics and institutional representatives, including Massimo Ambrosetti, Italian Ambassador to China; Massimo Bray, former Minister of Culture and Director General of Fondazione Treccani; Xu Weixiang, professor and director of the Institute for European Thought and Culture at Tongji University; Cui Yanqiang, professor at Southwest University and Chinese director of the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations; Monica Bezzegato, lecturer at Beijing Foreign Studies University; Caterina Ludovica Baldini, postdoctoral researcher at Peking University; and Filippo Mignini, professor emeritus at the Università di Macerata. Other speakers in the main sessions included Zhang Xiping, Guo Yi, Wang Junlin, Peng Lei, Li Yongbin, Ji Qinghong, Sungkun Jeon, Wang Suna and Zhu Ming.

The conference is linked to the exhibition A Journey of Knowledge: “The Travels of Marco Polo” and Its Legacy between East and West, held at the China World Art Museum in Beijing from 26 July to 24 November 2024.