Jun 23 2025 to Jun 23 2025 7 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

30 minutes | English with English Subtitles | 2025 | India

Centuries before colonisers set sail, two Venetian explorers captured the richness of India—its culture, commerce, and faith—shaping Europe’s earliest impressions of the East.

This documentary takes viewers on an incredible but forgotten journey with Venetian explorers Marco Polo and Niccolò de’ Conti as they navigate medieval India. It vividly illustrates the rich cultural diversity, economic prosperity, spiritual and religious intensity of the region.

In the late thirteenth century, Marco Polo, along with his father and uncle, travelled from Venice to the court of Kublai Khan before heading south to India. There, he documented the thriving Pandya Kingdom in Thanjavur, known for its pearl trade, well-structured society, and beautiful temples, as well as the spice-laden markets of Kerala and the bustling port of Cambay in Gujarat, Western India.

Fast-forward over a century, and we have Niccolò de’ Conti, who provided a detailed account of India’s Deccan region. He admired the fortified beauty of Vijayanagara, celebrated the vibrant festivals like Deepavali and Maha Navami, and acknowledged the cultural richness of Cambay in Gujarat, Western India and Mylapore in Tamil Nadu, an early centre of Christianity.

Through their first-hand observations, this documentary highlights a medieval India characterised by thriving trade, religious tolerance, and architectural beauty, showcasing the lasting impact of these travellers’ encounters with a vibrant and complex civilisation.

The documentary, realised by MINDIA films, was entirely conceived and produced by the Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru, with the support of Baldota Group.