David Curiel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Don David Curiel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 May 1594 Lisbon |
| Died | 4 October 1666 (aged 72) Rotterdam |
| Noble family | Curiel |
| Father | Abraham Curiel |
| Mother | Maria de Fonseca |
| Occupation | merchant, diplomat |
Don David Curiel (11 May 1594 – 4 October 1666), alias Lopo da Fonseca Ramires,[1] was a Sephardi Jewish merchant.[2][3]
David Curiel was the son of Abraham Curiel and the brother of Jacob Curiel.[4][5] He was sent to Heidelberg University in Heidelberg, Germany.
Diplomatic career
In Amsterdam, David Curiel served as Agent to the Spanish Crown as well as being engaged in the import business of jewellery and gunpowder across Europe.[6] He was a financier of the Spanish delegation at the Peace of Westphalia.[7]
Curiel was perhaps the most prominent member of Amsterdam's Sephardi community and was a generous patron of Hebrew scholarship.[8][9]
Whilst in Amsterdam, Curiel was attacked by a robber, recognising who he was, and 'seriously wounded him with a knife'. Curiel pursued his attacker, with the help of his neighbours. The man was 'arrested, tried, and executed', and Curiel received a letter of apology from the Stadholder of the Netherlands.[10]
.svg){kind=small}
