Seven hundred years ago, a man who dared to traverse the unknown and redefine the boundaries of human understanding passed away in Venice: Marco Polo. Courage and curiosity made him the first European to document his journey across the entire Asian continent. His travel was immortalized in the text entitled Il Milione (also known as The Travels of Marco Polo or Book of the Marvels of the World), the treasure chest in which the breathtaking riches and mysteries of the Orient were revealed to the public, and which captured the imagination of civilisations across Europe and the Mediterranean. His vivid accounts ignited the Age of Exploration, inspiring other visionaries like Christopher Columbus to embark on journeys that changed human history forever.
For this special anniversary, Beretta proudly dedicates its annual one-off (i.e. a one-of-a-kind firearm) to Marco Polo's life and legacy with a bespoke creation: a unique gun crafted on the legendary S06 EELL Sparviere over-and-under platform.
Franco Gussalli Beretta, President and CEO of Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta, takes part into this celebration:"The Marco Polo PB selection shotgun is an ode to a brave traveller who wasn't afraid to face new cultures and people, an explorer who opened his arms and eyes to the wonder of the world, but always remaining tied to his homeland. This is the same spirit of Beretta: we bring our products around the globe, but our heart remains here, in Gardone Val Trompia, the only place where we are able to create unique pieces of engineering art. The Beretta celebrative one-offs always have a link with our history: Venice, Marco Polo's hometown, was the place where in 1980s we found Bartolomeo Beretta's invoice for the Republic of Venice, the document that allowed us to track the existence of our Company back to 1526, and will allow us to celebrate our 500th anniversary in 2026."
The 12-gauge over-and-under shotgun is the result of 1,500 hours of hand engraving and other 500 hours of work by master gunsmiths, stock and gun case makers, plus months of study by Beretta's R&D, Design and Marketing departments.
On the hammered and punched body of the receiver, several elements recall the themes of sailing and exploration: a rutter (Portolano or Periplus), primary store of geographic information for maritime navigation, covers seamlessly the receiver, together with the copper-inlaid and enamelled compass roses that enrich the hinge pins, top lever, the screws and the bottom of the pistol grip. A copper-inlaid pattern with diamonds and stars covers the trigger guard, the fore-end iron, the upper lever, the upper rib, the breech sights, the safety, fored iron, top lever, top rib, receiver shoulders, safety, bead and the interior of the sideplates, as the hand-detachable sidelock action of the SO Sparviere allows to admire the internal decorations.
Other details show the history of the Venetian explorer: a copper medallion chiseled with his profile on the bottom of the receiver, along with small figures of Polo leaving on a horse and coming back by ship. The anniversary years are engraved and copper-inlaid on the trigger guard with the Dragon (symbol of China). The top lever also features a silver-inlaid winged Lion (symbol of Venice) and the fret-worked key representing Marco Polo's sheep, a kind of Asian argali sheep described in Il Milione. The is MARCOPOLO7 dedicated serial number is copper-inlaid on the receiver tang. The side plates show two burin-engraved scenes from Marco Polo's travels: on the left one we see Venice, the traveller's hometown, while on the right side plate we find a vivid depiction of the architecture, characters and nature of the Asian territories.
The forend release button features a Chinese inscription meaning: Uniting Europe and Asia as two parts of a single gem.
The Beretta Sparviere Marco Polo as a metaphor for creative travel
Carlo Ferlito, General Manager & CEO of Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta, said: "As a Company, we try to follow Marco Polo's attitude to explore: we spend our existence pushing our boundaries and expanding our horizons, we research to find always new solutions, techniques and materials, and provide hunters and shooters with innovative and unconventional products. The SO Sparviere is the perfect platform for this celebratory piece: a traditional and exclusive mechanism that was transformed by Beretta to create something outstanding and surprising, with the side plates opening like the wings of a bird. The craftsmen of our Pietro Beretta Selection atelier managed to astound us again with this unique shotgun, going beyond the limits of their immense skills and showing us something unprecedented."
Completing the engraving, exquisite details stand out slong the whole gu: the grade 5 walnut wood, finished with some 80 layers of Tru-Oil, features a Scottish checkering to recall the diamond pattern on the metal components, while the blued Steelium Optimabore HP barrels are mirror-polished by hand.
The gun case, handmade entirely from scratch in the PB Selection Atelier, completes the masterpiece: a bright yellow leather with a digital print of the medieval map of the known world at the times of Marco Polo (depicting Europe, Asia and Africa), completed by blue leather details on the edges and handle. The interior boasts a carefully selected Venetian red silk fabric with a golden roses design, elegantly matching with the exterior.
The SO EELL Sparviere Marco Polo comes with a unique display case made in Murano, Venice, by the craftsmen of Arte Veneziana: a matt-lacquered cabinet with wood frame and galvanised steel metal elements. The fronts and doors are in extra-clear 8-mm tempered and hand-engraved glass. The decoration on the glass is based on the original miniatures from the book II Milione, depicting the departure of Marco Polo and his uncles from Venice to the East. The scene reproduces San Marco's Square in Venice in the 13th century.
As it is a unique piece, the list price of the Sparviere Marco Polo has not been disclosed.
A recap of Beretta's unique annual celebratory one-offs:
- 2019: SL3 Da Vinci, 500th anniversary from Leonardo Da Vinci's death
- 2020: SL3 Vittoria Alata, Celebrating the reveal, after restoration, of the Vittoria Alata Roman statue, a symbol of Brescia and former Beretta logo
- 2021: SL3 Dante, 700th anniversary from Dante Alighieri's death
- 2022: SL3 Tutankhamon, 100th anniversary from the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb
- 2023: 486 Copernico, 550th anniversary from of Nicolaus Copernicus's birth
- 2024: S06 EELL Sparviere Marco Polo, 700th anniversary from Marco Polo's passing
To find out more about the Sparviere Marco Polo please visit the dedicated page on the Beretta Italian website.
