 The Arnolfini were a powerful family in Lucca, involved in the politics and trade of the small but wealthy city, which specialised (like Florence) in weaving expensive cloth.Giovanni, called here "di Nicolao" or "son of Nicolao" to distinguish him from his cousin "Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolfini" (see below), moved to Bruges in Flanders at an early age to work in the family business and lived there for the rest of his life.He became wealthy trading in silk and other fabrics, tapestries and other precious objects, although in later years he seems to have suffered business reverses, and to have retired from trading.