The Salviati-Da Colle Company and the Florentine Silks Trade in Lisbon in the 15th Century
Abstract
The agents of the Salviati-Da Colle company arrived in Lisbon in 1462, where they developed an intense import and export activity. Italian silk fabrics were one of the most transacted products. This article examines a long bill of fabric silks trade from 1464-65 that provide information about the types of fabrics, colours, prices and the buyers, who were mainly nobles and Jewish merchants. The purpose is to identify the consumption patterns of the Portuguese Court and the commercial mechanisms used by this company in the Lisbon market.