Casa da Guiné | |
Fate: | Dissolved |
Successor: | Casa da Índia |
Foundation: | 1443 |
Location City: | Lisbon |
Location Country: | Kingdom of Portugal |
Area Served: | Portuguese Empire |
Key People: | Manuel I of Portugal |
Industry: | International trade |
The Casa da Guiné (English: House of Guinea), later known as the Casa da Guiné e Mina and also referred to as the Portuguese Guinea Company, was a state-run Portuguese commercial institution, tasked with the management of the Portuguese Empire's economic interests and colonization in West Africa, particularly on the Gulf of Guinea, on the Gold Coast, and on the Slave Coast.
Founded in 1443, during the Age of Discoveries, under the auspices of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Casa da Guiné would later be absorbed into the Casa da Índia in 1503.
It monitored and enforced the Crown's monopoly, coordinated voyages, maintained warehouses, fixed prices, and performed other roles associated with the Spice trade.