Seven centuries ago, legendary explorer Marco Polo passed away in his home town of Venice; Marco Polo was the first European to document his traveling across Asia in his book, Il Milione (also known as The travels of Marco Polo or Book of the marvels of the world).

A special anniversary, that Beretta decided to celebrate with their special project for 2024, presented officially on December 26: the Beretta SO Sparviere Marco Polo over-under shotgun, a unique piece entirely hand-made by Beretta's craftsmen and based on the Company's own, highly acclaimed SO6 SSLL Sparviere shotgun.

The Beretta SO Sparviere Marco Polo is the outcome of over 1,500 hours of hand engraving and 500 more hours of work by expert gunsmith, following months of study, research and development, design, and marketing work.

Franco Gussalli Beretta, President and CEO of Beretta, enthusiastically celebrates the launch of the SO Sparviere Marco Polo:

« 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 wonders 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're able to create unique pieces of engineering art.»

« Beretta's celebrative one-offs always have a link to our history: Marco Polo's hometown of Venice is where, back in the 1980s, we found Bartolomeo Beretta's invoice to the Republic of Venice 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 receiver body of the Beretta SO Sparviere Marco Polo is hammered and punched with various engravings recalling elements of navigation and exploration: a rutter (Portolano, or Periplus, the primary store of geographical information for maritime navigation in those gone-by centuries) seamlessly covers the receiver, together with the copper-enlayed and enameled compass roses enriching the shotgun's hinge pins, top lever, screws, and bottom of the grip.

A copper-enlayed pattern with diamonds and stars covers the trigger guard, forend iron, top lever and rib, receiver shoulders, safety, bead and interior of the sideplates, as the hand-detachable sidelock action makes those engravings accessible for anyone to admire.

Other engravings detail the story of the Venetian explorer: a copper medalion chiseled with his profile on the bottom of the receiver, the anniversary years engraved and copper-inlayed on the trigger guard, along with a dragon (symbol of China) and a winged lion (symbol of Venice); the fret-worked key represents Marco Polo's sheep, a kind of Asian Argali sheep described by the explorer in his book Il Milione.

The dedicated serial number for this shotgun, MARCOPOLO7, is copper-inlayed on the receiver tang. The forend release button features a Chinese inscription that translates into "Uniting Europe and Asia like two parts of a single gem".

The side plates feature two burin-engraved scenes of Marco Polo's travels: a view of Venice, Marco Polo's home town, on the left; a view of the legendary explorer in the Mongolian steppes and exploring the Asian architecture and natural landscapes on the right.

Other exquisite details stand out along the whole gun: the Grade 5 walnut wood, finished with approximately eighty layers of Tru-Oil, features a Scottish checkering pattern recalling the diamond pattern of the metal parts, while the Steelium OptimaBore HP blued barrels are mirror-polished by hand.

Completing the masterpiece, the bespoke case for the SO Sparviere Marco Polo shotgun is entirely handmade by PB Selection atelier's craftsmen in bright yellow leather with a digital print of the medieval map of the known world at the time of the Venetian explorer's travels, withy blue leather details on the handle and edges. The interior features a carefully selected Venetian red silk fabric with a golden roses design, elegantly matching the exterior.