From the 15th century, a few great families from trading dynasties settled in Saint-Malo, giving a dynamic to the city which reached its peak during the reign of Louis XIV. The 'Messieurs de Saint-Malo', a port bourgeoisie made up of a merchant elite belonging to a nucleus of around thirty families of intrepid explorers and wealthy shipowners, transformed Saint-Malo into a merchant capitalist center open to fishing towards the banks of Newfoundland at the mouth of the Saint-Laurent in Canada and international trade from Newfoundland to the Mediterranean, from Cadiz to Callao or from Moka to Canton. The 'Compagnie Commerciale des Indes' (India Trading Company) was then based in Saint-Malo and funded by shareholders in the city. The city, which enjoyed a relative autonomy, then benefited from a customs exemption and the weavers of the Armorican countryside produced linen, the flagship product of Saint-Malo exports.