That's an interesting question. Technically speaking, I think you can use either "during" and "throughout" in that sentence, but to my English ear it sounds a little funny to use "during". For me "during" could mean at one or two moments in time whereas "throughout" implies something that happened frequently or even continuously in the time specified. For example, saying that "I spilled a drink on myself DURING dinner" is different that saying "I spilled a drink on myself THROUGHOUT dinner". The first sentence conveys the correct meaning, ie: there was a moment in time during dinner where I spilled a drink on myself. The second sentence sounds funny and ridiculous, it implies that I was spilling the drink continuously during the entire course of the dinner. So back to your example, THROUGHOUT implies that Marco Polo's stories captivated readers continuously whereas DURING would imply that this was only the case for a few brief moments in that time frame.

The word "throughout" refers to "in every part". For example, a person searches throughout the house by looking in many, many places. The word "during" refers to a STRETCH of time. For example, I work during the day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. By using the word, "throughout", the speaker is emphasizing that something happened in many, many parts, you could say, many pockets or places or corners over the centuries, not just a stretch of time. Hope this helps

To my mind, usage of "throughout" puts emphasis on the fact that something happens during the entire period, at each point of time, or constantly. 'During' implies that something may happen at a certain point of time in the given period, occasionally.

Naomi has a excellent answer. Thoughout indicates "at all moments" of a period of time. During indicates "at some moments" or "at all moments" of a period of time. New Oxford American Dictionary throughout | θruˈaʊt | • from beginning to end of (an event or period of time): [as preposition] : the Church of which she was a faithful member throughout her life during | ˈd(j)ʊrɪŋ | preposition throughout the course or duration of (a period of time): the restaurant is open during the day | the period during which he grew to adulthood. • at a particular point in the course of: the stabbing took place during an argument at a party.

The other answers are good but the question should have been phrased “Why isn’t it possible to use “during” in the sentence below?” Or “Is it possible to use “during” in the sentence below?”