Once upon a time, we didn’t know the limits of our planet and many areas of the world remained isolated, with no connection to others. We didn’t know of the places and species that existed in other regions, nor of their peoples and cultures.

In order to to learn all there was to know about this world we live in, we had to hit the road. Riding a donkey or a camel, sailing a boat or on foot, we left our homes to go out in search of the unknown, and came back with extraordinary news and novelties from other places.

The journeys undertaken by monks, botanists, traders, sailors and artists brought important contributions to our understanding of the planet, and to our awareness of the existence of each other. These travellers — from all times and places — are the lead characters of this book, where you’ll find plenty of maps and many, many adventures.