Publication Date
2010
Categories
The Portuguese are first mentioned in Flanders in the beginning of the thirteenth century. Yet, direct and continuous relationships were not maintained before the fourteenth century. Regardless of the difficult political and military conjuncture between Flanders, France, England and Portugal, a commercial treaty was signed in 1389 and privileges were assigned to the Portuguese "nation" in 1411 and in 1438, and were regularly renewed from then on. The Portuguese community had thus two elected consuls to direct it and to judge civil cases between Portuguese. On the other hand, the factor of the king of Portugal is not mentioned in Bruges before 1416.
If around 1400 there seems to have been some lack of balance between the trade from the Portuguese who went to Flanders and the one done by the Flemish who went to Portugal, this activity soon became almost entirely under the control of the Portuguese, mostly from Lisbon and Oporto. In these exchanges, Portugal exported wine and oil, but mostly "fruits de carême", figues and raisens, brought in by naval fleets. The exploration of the Madeira islands allowed for the exportation of yew wood, mentioned from 1459 on, and then for sugar, of which there are records from 1468 on. On what Africa is concerned, there is ivory from 1465 on. Other than these main products, one should also point out the cork, used for the floaters of fishing nets and also the shoes which people used when they went outside. Portuguese merchants used the ships of their compatriots for this commerce, but also the ones from Castilians, Genovese, Bretons, Dutch and even the Hanseatic.
When their products arrived to the Bruges arbors, mostly to L'Écluse, the merchants had to pay a tax, and then they had to contact the "hotelier" who would act as a broker and who specialised in commerce with Portugal: these were either inhabitants originally from Bruges, or Portuguese who had obtained the "right of bourgeoisie" in Bruges. Along with independent merchants, there was also the king of Portugal's factor, who represented an obstacle to free trade, mostly on what objects included in the royal monopoly were concerned.
According to their letters of quittance, portuguese royalty were in search for war material (defensive as well as offensive weapons, namelly artillary), luxury objects for the royal family, furs, silk, sheets, canvas, tapestries, furniture, books of hours, and even parchment for Zurara, the chronicler; afterwards, in 1471, came the brass thread and tinplate used in the trading with Black Africa. The factor was very zealous in defending the royal monopoly: gatos dalgalia, malageta e toda outra espeçiaria e alicornes, as can be seen from the 1470 judicial action which concerned the ivory brought in through contraband.
By the end of the fifteenth century, the political difficulties in Flanders, with the rebellion against Maximilien between 1482 and 1492, together with the silting up of the Zwin, the arm of the sea which connected the arbour of L'Écluse with the one from Damme and then, through canals, to Bruges, led to the Portuguese abandoning the city, actually responding to the requests Maximilien had done in 1488 and in 1488. They returned in 1493, seduced by promises of great privileges and of being attributed a house of their own, offered by the municipality (located in Ridderstraat). Notwithstanding, the centre of gravity of commerce had shifted to Anvers, where the Portuguese nation installed definitely in 1510-1511, preceded by the royal factory in 1499. As had happened in Bruges, the Portuguese nation received the house of the municipality of Anvers (located in the Kipdorp, near the Stock market). The merchants kept the same privileges they had had in Bruges, and it is known that, other than the two consuls, there were also a secretary and a treasurer. As in Bruges, the number of Portuguese permanently residing there was low, between one and two dozens. This number increased significantly after 1550, with the immigration of the Marranos or secret jews. The relationships between Portuguese merchants and the royal factor were better in Anvers than in Bruges; as a matter of fact they were also in the house offered by the city, Huis van Portingael or Casa de Portugal.
As they did during the fifteenth century, the merchants used other transporters other than the Portuguese: mainly Castilians until 1530, Bretons between 1530 and 1540, and finally Dutch. In 1550, due to French piracy, emperor Charles V was responsible for the promulgation of an edict on the navigation between Holland and the South, which should be organized by convoys.
On what commerce itself is concerned, the companies stopped being formed for the sole duration of a trip or of an arrival to Bruges. Larger associations were formed among the Portuguese, with Castilians, Flemish - who had invested namely in the sugar from Madeira Islands -, Germans, Italians, and whose centres were Lisbon, Anvers, Medina del Campo or Lyon. As for the products, sugar itself did not come strictly from Madeira, but also from the Canary Islands, from São Tomé and from Brazil. The monopoly covered the pepper from Guinea and the spices from India. The factory was suppressed in 1548, after a bankrupt, but the merchants only left Anvers in 1647.
If around 1400 there seems to have been some lack of balance between the trade from the Portuguese who went to Flanders and the one done by the Flemish who went to Portugal, this activity soon became almost entirely under the control of the Portuguese, mostly from Lisbon and Oporto. In these exchanges, Portugal exported wine and oil, but mostly "fruits de carême", figues and raisens, brought in by naval fleets. The exploration of the Madeira islands allowed for the exportation of yew wood, mentioned from 1459 on, and then for sugar, of which there are records from 1468 on. On what Africa is concerned, there is ivory from 1465 on. Other than these main products, one should also point out the cork, used for the floaters of fishing nets and also the shoes which people used when they went outside. Portuguese merchants used the ships of their compatriots for this commerce, but also the ones from Castilians, Genovese, Bretons, Dutch and even the Hanseatic.
When their products arrived to the Bruges arbors, mostly to L'Écluse, the merchants had to pay a tax, and then they had to contact the "hotelier" who would act as a broker and who specialised in commerce with Portugal: these were either inhabitants originally from Bruges, or Portuguese who had obtained the "right of bourgeoisie" in Bruges. Along with independent merchants, there was also the king of Portugal's factor, who represented an obstacle to free trade, mostly on what objects included in the royal monopoly were concerned.
According to their letters of quittance, portuguese royalty were in search for war material (defensive as well as offensive weapons, namelly artillary), luxury objects for the royal family, furs, silk, sheets, canvas, tapestries, furniture, books of hours, and even parchment for Zurara, the chronicler; afterwards, in 1471, came the brass thread and tinplate used in the trading with Black Africa. The factor was very zealous in defending the royal monopoly: gatos dalgalia, malageta e toda outra espeçiaria e alicornes, as can be seen from the 1470 judicial action which concerned the ivory brought in through contraband.
By the end of the fifteenth century, the political difficulties in Flanders, with the rebellion against Maximilien between 1482 and 1492, together with the silting up of the Zwin, the arm of the sea which connected the arbour of L'Écluse with the one from Damme and then, through canals, to Bruges, led to the Portuguese abandoning the city, actually responding to the requests Maximilien had done in 1488 and in 1488. They returned in 1493, seduced by promises of great privileges and of being attributed a house of their own, offered by the municipality (located in Ridderstraat). Notwithstanding, the centre of gravity of commerce had shifted to Anvers, where the Portuguese nation installed definitely in 1510-1511, preceded by the royal factory in 1499. As had happened in Bruges, the Portuguese nation received the house of the municipality of Anvers (located in the Kipdorp, near the Stock market). The merchants kept the same privileges they had had in Bruges, and it is known that, other than the two consuls, there were also a secretary and a treasurer. As in Bruges, the number of Portuguese permanently residing there was low, between one and two dozens. This number increased significantly after 1550, with the immigration of the Marranos or secret jews. The relationships between Portuguese merchants and the royal factor were better in Anvers than in Bruges; as a matter of fact they were also in the house offered by the city, Huis van Portingael or Casa de Portugal.
As they did during the fifteenth century, the merchants used other transporters other than the Portuguese: mainly Castilians until 1530, Bretons between 1530 and 1540, and finally Dutch. In 1550, due to French piracy, emperor Charles V was responsible for the promulgation of an edict on the navigation between Holland and the South, which should be organized by convoys.
On what commerce itself is concerned, the companies stopped being formed for the sole duration of a trip or of an arrival to Bruges. Larger associations were formed among the Portuguese, with Castilians, Flemish - who had invested namely in the sugar from Madeira Islands -, Germans, Italians, and whose centres were Lisbon, Anvers, Medina del Campo or Lyon. As for the products, sugar itself did not come strictly from Madeira, but also from the Canary Islands, from São Tomé and from Brazil. The monopoly covered the pepper from Guinea and the spices from India. The factory was suppressed in 1548, after a bankrupt, but the merchants only left Anvers in 1647.