Who was Nicolo de Conti, and when did he visit Vijayanagara?

1) An Italian artist who visited in the 17th century
2) An Italian trader who visited in the 15th century
3) A Persian ambassador who visited in the 16th century
4) A Portuguese explorer who visited in the 14th century

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

2

Numerous inscriptions authored by the kings of Vijayanagara and their nayakas, documenting contributions to temples and chronicling significant historical occurrences, have been discovered. The city also attracted the attention of various travelers who penned their observations. Noteworthy among these accounts are those of individuals such as Nicolo de Conti, an Italian trader, Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador dispatched by the Persian ruler, and Afanasii Nikitin, a Russian merchant, all of whom visited the city in the 15th century. Additionally, accounts from Duarte Barbosa, Domingo Paes, and Fernao Nuniz, hailing from Portugal, provide valuable insights as they visited the city in the 16th century.