The book we have in our hands is not only a famous account of a journey but also a firsthand testimony regarding the diplomatic ambitions of Saint Louis and the calculations of international politics at a historical moment, critical for the East as well as for the West.

The account of William of Rubruck, translated into French based on its best Latin edition, is released in our language taking into account both the French and the Italian translations (the Italian, in turn, is based on the French translation from the Latin).

Of all the medieval texts, none - without a doubt - reveals so vividly the presence of the author: the human element within the writing and the adventure within the human.