Claim: Brother of Jacob Curiel of Coimbra, whom he wrote letters to each other frequently, Fernão Nunes (a Portuguese-Jewish traveler, chronicler and horse trader) fled the inquisition to Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire, where he openly practiced his Judaism.
Evidence: Fernão Nunes, also known as Fernao Nuniz, was a Portuguese-Jewish traveler, chronicler and horse trader who spent three years in Vijayanagara, capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the time period 1535-1537. Nunes' brother was one Jacob Curiel of Coimbra, alias Duarte Nunes, founder of the Curiel family that would come to greatly influence European trade and diplomacy. Jacob and Fernão frequently wrote letters to each other. Once Nunes fled the inquisition to Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire, where he openly practiced his Judaism.