Final answer:
Rustichello da Pisa co-wrote 'The Travels of Marco Polo' with Marco Polo while in a Genoa prison. This travelogue became a vital source of geographic and cultural knowledge of the Silk Road and influenced future explorers like Christopher Columbus.
Step-by-step explanation:
The co-writer who worked with Rustichello da Pisa in a Genoa prison in the 13th century on one of the most popular travelogues of all time was none other than the Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo. They collaborated on what became known as The Travels of Marco Polo, originally titled Le divisament du monde (The Description of the World), or in some instances Il Milione (The Million), reflecting either Polo's nickname or the abundance of incredible stories within the book. This work was instrumental in providing a comprehensive account of Polo's experiences during his journey through the Silk Road and his time at the court of Kublai Khan.
The information contained in The Travels of Marco Polo greatly influenced future explorers, including Christopher Columbus, who referred to Polo's descriptions of Asia during his own voyages. The insights into commerce, including the use of paper money and coal, as well as cultural exchanges, such as the Chinese form of pasta, are all vividly described in this historical text.