Our History

The Davids originally came from Oltingen ( Canton of Basel ) which is also where they resided many centuries ago. In the XIVth century they moved to the city of Basel. Over the years the David family gave some worthy figures to the city - diplomats, judges, traders, even a ship-owner.

In his youth Cristoforo David moved to Genoa to work with one of his uncle's best friends, Mr. Louis Leupold Morrison, who in 1858 had opened an export trade office in Genoa and who was the most important shipper for K.N.S.M.'s (Royal Netherlands Steamship Co.) first ships.

With intelligence, tenacious determination and energy he notably pushed forward the company's development and when Louis Leopold Morrison, by then in his eighties, retired Cristoforo became the sole owner of the company.

In 1920 Gioachino, Cristoforo's eighteen-year-old son, was welcomed into the company and after a few years of apprenticeship in the business went abroad to gain more experience. He worked for K.N.S.M. in Holland until 1926.

Before leaving to return to Genoa he was given the title of K.N.S.M.'s official agent together with Cristoforo David. Following his father's death in 1934 Gioachino continued with his father's work and was now the sole owner of the company which he called Cristoforo David in honour of his family's naval traditions and of the Average agency represented by his father.

Louis Leupold Morrison and Cristoforo David were the initiators and Gioachino David was the continuer of the Average agency for Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont for the Maritime insurance committees of Hamburg and Bremen: Verein Hamburger Assekuradeure of Hamburg and Verein Bremer Seeversicherer of Bremen.

The Cristoforo David Company has held the position of agent since ca.1860 when the aforementioned institutes were formed and executes its duties regarding damage to hulls and ships' engines as well as for damage to goods assessing the cause and the extent.

In 1939 the Maritime Insurance Committee of Amsterdam (The Association of underwriters of Amsterdam) assigned to Cristoforo David the Average Agency for the transport of goods insured by members of this committee. After the Second World War the import, export and Average agency activities flourished until 1991 when there was a split from the forwarding branch after which Cristoforo David continued to work at an international level exclusively as an Average Agency.