2000
Well, it's a bright day of 1287, the sun shines over the bell tower and the copper-plated domes of St. Mark's Basilica, on the valuable marbles which ornate its façade (yeah, OK, we took them all over the Orient without asking the owners, and we used them as ballast for our ships, so what: don't they look nice, now?) and it's really a special day! Marco Polo returned to Venice: he left in 1271, Eastbound, with his uncles Niccolò and Matteo, and from there he's back now, a grown man, a rich merchant, ambassador in the Western lands of the Qiubilai Khan, escorted by four of his famous soldiers, aboard a ship (on the right, ...no, further, after the columns of St. Mark and St. Tòdaro,...there she is) from where a Chinese crew unloads treasures (exotic animals, silk, rugs, spices, ivory, wood and perfumes) ...and a "Million" of unbelievable stories. 
He's welcomed (centre) by Doge Stefano surrounded by his dogs, followed by his wife (the Dogaressa) and by the Council of the Ten. The venetian people, curious and interested as ever, assist numerous: those who wanted a better position climbed in the Lodge of the Palazzo Ducale, a splendid building, near to completion, from which one can appreciate the whole St. Mark square, the Basilica and the prestigious buildings around.