Final answer:
Marco Polo's travels highlighted the wealth and expanse of the Mongol Empire, igniting European interest in Eastern cultures and trade. His experiences and accounts in 'Travels of Marco Polo' significantly influenced contemporaries and future explorers like Columbus, contributing to the advent of the Age of Exploration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marco Polo's travels significantly drew interest in the culture, resources, and wealth of the Mongol Empire. His adventures began when he left Venice at the age of seventeen with his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo, venturing to the east. The Polos were granted safe passage across Mongol lands, thanks to a paiza, a gold tablet that offered them accommodations and provisions.
During the Pax Mongolica or 'Mongol peace,' trade flourished, and European merchants like Marco Polo traveled eastward to China. His travels, documented in his book Travels of Marco Polo, described remarkable aspects of the East, such as the splendors of Kublai Khan's palace, paper money, and technologies not yet seen in Europe, like coal and a form of pasta. These tales captivated his contemporaries and later inspired explorers like Christopher Columbus.
Yet, after the Pax Mongolica, with rising risks and costs associated with land trade, Europeans sought alternative sea routes, leading to the Age of Exploration. Influential Italian merchants, such as Venice, home to Marco Polo, capitalized on these new opportunities to trade directly with far-off lands, enriching their cities and inspiring kings across Europe to follow suit.