Yaakov Curiel
Merchant
About Yaakov Curiel
Lived 1514 – 1576 (aged 61–62).
Jacob Curiel of Coimbra (1514-1576), also known as Jacob Curiel or Duarte Nunes of Coimbra, was a prosperous Portuguese cloth merchant and navy commander.
Life and career Curiel was born into a family of crypto-Jews, the brother of Fernão Nunes, and grandson of Jeronimo de Saldanha y Bovadilha, who was a Portuguese nobleman. Curiel rose to become a captain in the Spanish Navy, commanding two fleets. Upon discovering that Curiel was Jewish, his sailors freed him because they had respected him. He was the father of Abraham Curiel. Historian Jonathan Israel described him as one of the most influential merchants of the sixteenth century.
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Important facts
People in Yaakov Curiel's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Yaakov Curiel's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Yaakov Curiel?
Merchant
When was Yaakov Curiel born?
Yaakov Curiel was born in 1514.
When did Yaakov Curiel die?
Yaakov Curiel died in 1576.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Jacob Curiel of Coimbra
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Yaakov Curiel. https://biography.guide/yaakov-curiel/
MLA: "Yaakov Curiel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/yaakov-curiel/.
Chicago: "Yaakov Curiel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/yaakov-curiel/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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