The Bankers of the Sea · Founded 1171
House D’Aurelian
“Fortuna Favours the Bold”
Fortune Favours the Bold
International BankingMaritime CommerceFinance
Merchant princes of the Mediterranean, the D’Aurelians built their fortune on the salt and silk routes before turning to the business of lending to kings. Their counting house on the Meridian has operated without interruption since 1394.
The family's distinctive half-Latin, half-vernacular motto was adopted in 1398, the year of the maritime expansion it largely financed.
Chronicle of the House
- 1171Marco d’Aurelian settles in the harbour of Elpson.
- 1394Opening of the Banco d’Aurelian.
- 1398Finances the expansion of the maritime trading network.
- 1572Advises on the establishment of the Treasury of Elpson.
Notable Figures
Marco d’Aurelian
1140 – 1203
Founder.
Lucrezia d’Aurelian
1531 – 1601
First Governor of the Treasury.
Relations with the Houses
Commercially indispensable to all houses; quietly at odds with Orsini-Vale over energy finance.