Who among the following travellers was from Italy and visited Vijayanagar Kingdom in the fifteenth century?

Nicolo Conti (also known as Niccolò de' Conti) was a Venetian merchant and explorer from Italy who visited the Vijayanagar Kingdom in the early fifteenth century, specifically around 1420–1421 [1]. He arrived during the reign of Deva Raya I and provided a detailed graphic account of the capital's circumference and the king's military strength [2]. While other travelers mentioned in the options also visited India, they do not fit the specific criteria: Afanasii Nikitin was a Russian merchant who visited in the late 15th century [1], Fa-Hien was a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim from the 5th century [2], and François Bernier was a French physician who visited during the 17th-century Mughal era. Conti's accounts are vital for understanding the socio-economic conditions of the Sangama dynasty.

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > Finding out about the city > p. 176
2. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity > A Traveller's Account of Indian Society in the Gupta Age > p. 153