An Italian affair – Stanley Johnson takes London’s society set on the Silk Road

The European joined Stanley Johnson and a select gathering of guests at London’s Italian Cultural Institute for an evening of adventure, laughter and extraordinary tales from China, as the author celebrated his latest book and a journey more than 60 years in the making

Stanley Johnson brought the adventures of Marco Polo to the heart of London last Friday, entertaining 50 guests at a special event hosted by the Italian Cultural Institute.

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo – Stanley Johnson in conversation with Francesco Bongarrà was held at Italy House, the Institute’s new home on Buckingham Gate, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace.

The European was among the guests as the author, environmentalist, former MEP and our Editor-at-Large joined the Institute’s director, Francesco Bongarrà, for an evening of conversation, photographs and film footage recounting his extraordinary travels across China.

The discussion centred on Stanley’s latest book, In the Footsteps of Marco Polo: Exploring the Old World in Modern Times, which tells the story of an adventure he first attempted more than six decades ago.

In the summer of 1961, Stanley and fellow travellers Tim Severin and Michael de Larrabeiti set off from Oxford on two BSA motorcycles, determined to retrace Marco Polo’s legendary route from Venice to Beijing.

Their journey brought them close to the Chinese frontier before they were forced to divert to India. When one of the motorcycles broke down, the three men continued from Kabul to Calcutta on the remaining machine, leaving Stanley’s dream of reaching Beijing unfulfilled.

It would take another 62 years before he finally completed the journey. In 2023, accompanied by his son Max and a television crew, Stanley returned to China, following Marco Polo’s route across the country to the site of Kublai Khan’s summer palace at Xanadu and eventually Beijing.

With Bongarrà chairing the conversation, the two men also discussed the continuing relevance of Marco Polo’s travels, particularly his influence in opening up greater understanding between East and West.

Born in Venice in 1254, Marco Polo became one of history’s most celebrated travellers, and his accounts of Asia introduced generations of Europeans to places and cultures they had never encountered.

“Marco Polo was an extraordinary man,” Stanley told guests. “Just imagine setting off into the unknown in the 13th century, travelling thousands of miles and encountering people and places that most Europeans had never even heard of. Seven hundred years later, we’re still talking about him. I think that’s rather remarkable.”

Guests were also treated to photographs from Stanley’s book and clips from the television documentary produced by One Tribe TV and CCTV, bringing some of the more memorable episodes of his Chinese expedition to life.

Among the highlights was an entertaining sequence featuring Stanley riding a yak high in China’s Pamir mountains.

“I must say, riding a yak in the Pamir mountains wasn’t something I’d ever imagined myself doing,” Stanley joked. “They’re splendid animals, though I’m not entirely sure the yak was as enthusiastic about the experience as I was!”

The occasion attracted guests from the worlds of business, publishing and international affairs, including noted entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr Jan Telensky and Kurt Brackob, director of Histria Books.

Also attending were Linda Ball, CEO of the Supracycle Group of Companies, political strategist Chris Vinante and Nicolas Maclean of Pennycross, CMG.

The presentation and questions from the floor kept the audience entertained for well over an hour, with Stanley sharing further memories of his travels and answering questions about the people, places and experiences that had shaped his journey.

For Bongarrà, the occasion had been a fitting celebration of one of Italy’s most famous historical figures and the remarkable adventures he continues to inspire.

“Marco Polo is one of the great figures of Italian history, and his extraordinary travels continue to fascinate people more than 700 years later,” Bongarrà said.

“It was a real pleasure to welcome Stanley to the Institute and hear how he followed in his footsteps across China. He has a wonderful way of bringing these adventures to life, and I think everyone in the room enjoyed his stories, particularly the more unexpected moments along the way.

“It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and I hope we can welcome him back again soon.”

Stanley added: “We had a marvellous audience, some excellent questions and a great deal of laughter. I hope people came away feeling that there’s still an enormous amount of the world worth discovering.”

READ MORE: Exclusive: Boris joins father Stanley and brothers Max, Leo and Jo for BSA launch of new Marco Polo book. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined father Stanley and brothers Max, Leo and Jo on vintage BSA motorcycles yesterday as The European’s editor-at-large launched In the Footsteps of Marco Polo, the book telling the story of a journey from Oxford to Beijing that took more than 60 years to complete.

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_{Main image: Johnson entertains guests at the Italian Cultural Institute in London during In the Footsteps of Marco Polo, an evening of conversation, adventure and memories from his extraordinary travels across China. Credit: Sam Furlong/Belters News}