In the 16th Century the Portuguese began
to trade with the Far East via the Cape of Good Hope.
Over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries other
European Nationsfollowed suit inopening trade routes
with Asia.
The West was now relying on spices coming
from Asia : pepper from India, cinnamon from Ceylon;
cloves gathered from Molucca and nutmeg from the Banda
Archipelago...
Within a few years, a frenzy had seized
the merchants and trading posts were created all over
Asia. Products such as fabrics (cotton, percaline, silk,
porcelain, teas, and coffees found their respective
ways onto European tables.
Three companies became dominant in this
trade : VOC (Verenigade Oost~Indische), the Dutch East
India company, the EIC (the East India Company) for
the British , and CIO (La Compagnie des Indes Orientales)
in France.
Founded in 1666 by Colbert, the French
India Company was given the royal seal and authorised
to trade in countries well beyond the Cape of Good Hope.
There are many stops along the spice
route. Villa Kerasy celebrates the major ones by allocating
their names to the various rooms within the hotel. To
set the scene let’s have a look at the names of
the rooms and see from where they derive.
