Thomas I de Gadagne

Thomas I de Gadagne, known as Thomas the Rich (26 or 27 August 1454, Savoy - 23 May 1533, Avignon) was a banker from a rich Florentine family who settled in Lyon, France, where he built up trading, banking, and industrial business interests in Lyon and Florence. He made a huge fortune and lent large sums to the kings of France to support their military expeditions to Italy and to finance a French expedition to the Americas.

Life
His father brought his three sons (Thomas, François, and Olivier) to Lyon in 1434. Thomas grew up in Geneva, where his family also had business interests, before following his family to Florence in 1463. He returned to Lyon in 1468 and became an apprentice to a Florentine banking family, the Pazzi. Thomas also based his own financial business in Lyon and became the richest man in the city. His two brothers and then his nephews all worked for his company, and he was its director until 1527.

He was recognized as the most important spice merchant in the city in 1500, and sixteen years later he appeared in the 'nommées' (fiscal registers estimating the wealth of each of the city's citizens for tax purposes) as the richest inhabitant of the city, taxed on 5000 'livres tournois'; for comparison, the next two richest families, the Nasi and Bonvisi, were only taxed on 2500 and 2000 livres tournois, respectively. When a 'consulat' was imposed on foreign merchants in 1523 to fund work on the city walls, he sent sixty men, compared to thirty required of Robert Albisse, twenty of Pierre Salviati, and fifteen of Antoine Gondi. In 1529, the Venetian ambassador Antonio Suriano wrote estimates of each Lyon merchant's wealth; he ranked Thomas at 400,000 ducats.

Florentine connections
The Florentines in Lyon lived and worked by statutes officially recognized by the Republic of Florence and had to ensure internal harmony in their own community while also getting protection and representation in the city of Florence and the French court. These statutes were established on 27 November 1501, putting the community under the leadership of four counsellors and a consul. As the leader of the most important mercantile and banking community in Lyon, the consul had the privilege of leading the payments made at the end of each of the four annual fairs.

Thomas was made a counsellor in 1501 and a consul in 1505. He partly paid for the construction of the St. Thomas Chapel in Notre-Dame de Confort, the Florentine church in Lyon, and his heir and nephew later commissioned a painting for it of The Incredulity of Saint Thomas from Francesco Salviati. He also became a member of the wool guild back in Florence in 1497 and made major investments in Florence, mainly in the commercial and industrial sectors. For example, he contributed 4000 florins to founding a wool textile factory in 1502, as well as owning a 60% share and sending his brother Olivier and nephew Niccolo Strozzi to manage the factory. Until his death, he remained very active in developing factories in Florence, gaining major commercial success by doing so.

Citizen of Lyon
<!---En 1507, il épouse Péronette Buatier, issue d'une des plus grandes familles bourgeoises de la cité, veuve de Gonin Conomir, largement dotée. Elle possède deux maisons en ville et une à Saint-Genis-Laval.

Thomas possède avant le mariage une grande demeure avec jardin et vignes au-dessus de la montée Saint-Barthélémy, au niveau de l'actuelle montée des Carmes Déchaussés. De son épouse, il acquiert une maison montée du Gourguillon, dotée de chambres en location et deux boutiques, et une rue Tramassac dont les appartements sont loués. La propriété de Saint-Genis-Laval, située au lieu-dit « La Tupinière », dispose d'un cuvier, d'un pressoir, de terres à seigle et de vignes.

Péronette Buatier décède en 1521. Elle est inhumée dans l'église de la nation florentine : Notre-dame de Confort. Des conflits avec la royauté le poussent à quitter Lyon pour Avignon entre 1521 et 1524. À son retour, il soutient financièrement la construction de pavillons pour les pestiférés et participe au paiement de la rançon de François Ier. En remerciement, il est fait conseiller de la ville de Lyon.

L'expédition de Verrazzano
En 1524, il participe au financement de l'expédition dirigée par le florentin Giovanni da Verrazzano qui atteint la côte de ce qui sera les États-Unis. Il semblerait que ce florentin, qui francise son nom en « Jean de Verrazane », soit apparenté à Thomas. En effet, la sœur de Thomas, Giovanna, épouse en 1480 un certain Alessandro da Verrazano. Or, le navigateur nait en 1481.

En effet, à cette époque, la route des épices est dominée par les monopoles de Gênes et de Venise, et entravée par les blocus des espagnols. Un projet de trouver les Indes par l'ouest est donc monté, et présenté à François Ier, qui donne son accord et fournit quatre navires. Pour le roi, le partage entre les monarchies espagnoles et portugaises de ces terres lointaines sans qu'il en soit partie prenante est frustrant.

La compagnie commanditaire, qui finance le projet, est tenue par trois lyonnais : Antoine de Martigny, Jean et François Buatier, beaux-frères de Thomas. La compagnie s'ouvre rapidement à cinq marchands florentins de Lyon : Thomas de Gadagne, Guillaume Nasi, Robert Albisse, Julien Bonacorsi et Antoine Gondi. Quelques autres entrent encore par la suite dans la compagnie.

Mais le navigateur, en trois tentatives, n'ayant jamais ramené ni épices ni or, le projet est abandonné. --->

Death
He died without issued in 1533 and is buried beside his wife - he left his large fortune to his nephew Thomas II de Gadagne.