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Balance sheet of the Royal Company of Commerce

Date
1777
Archive
Archive of the Promotion of National Work
Document type
Textual
Reference code
CAT-AFTN-DP-3
Link to the archive
Description

This document reflects the economic activity of the Real Companyia de Comerç de Barcelona, ​​created in 1755 at the behest of the Bourbon monarchy to promote trade with America. The financial balance sheet shows the accounting organization and the size of the commercial operations of one of the most important institutions of the 18th century in Catalonia. This company played a key role in the integration of the Catalan economy into the European Atlantic system, facilitating the export of textile products and the import of colonial raw materials. The document is representative of economic modernization and Catalan participation in international commercial networks. In terms of heritage, it stands out for its accounting typology, its institutional origin and its economic theme, and illustrates how Catalonia was linked to the construction of modern Europe through trade and finance.