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Nathan Curiel
Nathan Curiel (1666-1737), alias Alvaro Nunes da Costa, was a member of the Curiel family and Agent of the Portuguese Crown in Amsterdam. Curiel was born to Moses Curiel and Ribca Curiel (née Abas). There is speculation that he was named Nathan after Nathan of Gaza, a notable Jewish theologian who was still alive at the time of Nathan Curiel's birth. Curiel had an early interest in botany and sponsored exploration to discover new flowers in the Far East. He introduced many new varieties of plants to the Portuguese Court. Curiel had a large gardens at his home in Amsterdam. Jonathan Israel Jonathan Irvine Israel (born 26 January 1946) is a British writer and academic specialising in Dutch history, the Age of Enlightenment and European Jews. Israel was appointed as Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the School of Historical Studies a ... wrote, 'The effort which went into cultivating fine gardens, we may conclude, was yet another means of seizing the attention of visiting envoys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curiel Family
The Curiel family (Dutch: Curiël ''or'' also known as: da Costa) is a prominent Sephardi Jewish family. Until the late 18th century, the family held diplomatic positions for the Portuguese Crown in Hamburg and Amsterdam. History The family's origins date back to the 14th century in Curiel de Duero, Castile, Spain. Part of the Sephardic community in Spain, the Curiel family settled in Coimbra, Portugal after the 1492 Spanish decree that ordered the expulsion of all Jews who refused conversion to Catholicism. Abraham Curiel was an eminent physician in Lisbon and ensured that his children practiced Judaism. They were ennobled in 1641 by João IV of Portugal and hold noble titles in Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. The Curiel family has links to banking and commerce, the arts, literature and politics. In 1647, David Curiel financed the Spanish delegation to the Peace of Westphalia. Many members of the family sponsored Hebrew scholarship and practiced Judaism, either openly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |