Bartolomeo Marchionni

Bartolomeo Marchionni was a Florentine merchant and planter in Madeira that played a prominent role during the Age of Discovery.

In 1470 Marchionni moved from Florence to Lisbon as a representative of the Cambini family who were pioneers in developing of African slave trade. Ten years later, in 1482, the Cambini Bank went bankrupt while Marchionni became a prominent businessman with sugar plantations in Madeira and a monopoly for slave trading on the Guinea cost.

As a major sugar merchant in Madeira, Marchionni participated in the voyages to Guinea and Brazil, and financed several voyages to India. Besides being active in the slave and sugar trade, he also dealt in commodities such as grain and leather, and acted as a financier of the voyages of discovery. He was also a close friend of the famous explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and most likely he financed some of his voyages.

During his long and successful business career, Marchionni amassed a large fortune and became the most prominent merchant in Lisbon.