Italians are quite furious when they saw Croatia tried to claim the legendary explorer Marco Polo as one of their own.
It all happened when a museum dedicated to Marco Polo in the Chinese city of Yangzhou was opened not by Italian dignitaries but by a former president of Croatia - Stjepan Mesic.
It is said that the exact date and place of Marco Polo's birth are still unknown but most people believe he came from Venice. Some say he was born on the island of Korcula on the Adriatic coast, which is now known as Croatia.
This museum was built in Yangzhou because Marco Polo was an official there from 1282 to 1284. However, when Mesic inaugurated the museum he described Polo as 'a world explorer, born in Croatia who opened up China to Europe'.
Thus, this statement has led to an unpleasant situation. Italian publications have described this Croatian claim to be ridiculous and provocative.
