“These Monied Men”: The Genoese Bankers to the Spanish King

Fascinating online lecture from the Wallace Collection looking at economic background to the art market in the 17th century.

Claudio Marsilio, an economic historian from the University of Lisbon, took us through the role of the Genoese bankers in funding the Spain government. The background of this is that both of the Rubens’ landscapes currently on show at the Wallace Collection were in the band of Genoese bankers before they came to England.

He took us very clearly through how the exchange markets worked to move money around Europe and gave us good outline of the main events in the 80 Years War between Spain and the Dutch Republic.

He also outlined the idea of the Silver Loop and England’s role in it, buying and shipping silver from Spain to the Royal Mint but also moving 1/3 of that cargo to the Spanish Netherlands and again he gave a good timeline of the relationship between England and Spain during this period.

This was the useful and clear outline of the political and economic background to the art of Rubens which I have needed for a while.

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