Incarcerated in a Ligurian fastness, he told his story to a fellow-prisoner, a writer of romances named Rustichello of Pisa. When Rustichello heard Marco's story, he realized he was hearing one of the most remarkable tales ever told. The account of his travels that Marco Polo dictated to Rustichello in captivity - II Milione - would be exceptionally widely read and would stimulate European interest in the East and its riches.