Joan Cerdá (1460-1511)

I am joan Cerdà, "corredor de oreja", native from Valencia.

 

At the age of 14, I entered into the service of the Tuscan agents in Valencia and after that, I worked with them in Livorno. Although I had a little money, I participated in "comandas" and business, thanks to the bills of exchange and to my contacts, until I could accumulate sufficient funds to deal on my own. Now I have returned to Valencia and I am inscribed in the memorials of Consell as a corredor de oreja. I am in charge of putting the merchants in contact with each other, the presence of Valencians is increasingly more important in Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, Castile, Granada and Africa. I also work with the captains of the ships that transport the merchandise, and I contract the necessary insurance to cope with the risks of the sea. In addition, I am associated with the Florentine, Cesare di Barzi, to sell black slaves from Africa. It is an excellent business.