A team of horsemen from Perugia is gearing up to retrace the route of Venetian explorer Marco Polo along the ancient Silk Road, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. The expedition, set for this fall, will cover 16 countries in 15 months. “The horses will be the hardy ‘maremmana’ breed, from the marshlands of Lazio and southern Tuscany – similar to the tough pack-horses used by Marco Polo, his brother Maffeo and father Niccolo’. Before the expedition sets out, they will be trained to tackle rough terrain by experts from Perugia University’s Equestrian Studies Centre,” ANSA reports. In the March 2006 Special Report: Tuscan Hideaways, Dream of Italy reported on how to experience riding exquisite horses while visiting the Maremma area of Tuscany.
