Francisco de Borja y Aragón

Francisco de Borja y Aragón, Count of Mayalde and Prince of Squillace (* 1581 (according to other sources: 1577 or 1582) in Genoa, Italy ( according to other sources in Madrid, Spain and at sea in the Tyrrhenian Sea, † September 26 ( for other sources: October 25 ) in 1658 in Madrid, Spain) was a Spanish writer and served from 1615 to 1621 as viceroy of Peru.

Francisco de Borja was born the son of Juan de Borja y Aragón y Francisca Castro and Barreto. His paternal uncle was Francisco de Borja ( Jesuit ) from the family of Borgia, General of the Jesuits, who was later canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Mother's family comes from the Spanish royal house of Aragon. In his youth he traveled extensively as his father was a diplomat on missions for the Spanish court on the go. Due to the marriage with his cousin Ana de Borja y Pignatelli he obtained in 1602 the title of Prince of Squillace.

Viceroy of Peru

In July 1614 Borja was appointed Viceroy of Peru. With an entourage of 174 people, he traveled to South America. At that time, made ​​mainly Dutch privateers the Pacific waters unsafe. In fear of pirate raids, therefore, the last leg of the journey one years hesitated from Panama to Peru addition. In December 1615 Borja reached the city of Lima and took office.

He increased the yield from the silver and gold mines and so improved the revenue for the state treasury. To protect against privateer attacks he fortified the port of Callao and endowed him with a fixed garrison of 500 men. In 1617 he shared the administrative units across the Andes main ridge between the Rio de la Plata and the Paraguay today,

In the cultural sphere Borja dedicated to science, by founding the Universidad de San Marcos in Lima ( 1619) and the Colegio del Principe einrichtete, a training school for aristocratic Indians ( 1620).

With the end of his term of office expired in 1621 and Borja returned to Europe, where he devoted himself to poetry.

Literary works

As a poet Borja created the following major works:

  • Obras en verso (1654 ) ( works in verse )
  • El canto de Antonio y Cleopatra (The Song of Anthony and Cleopatra )
  • La Pasión de Nuestro Señor Jesus Cristo (1638 ) (The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ )
  • Napoles Recuperada por el rey don Alfonso (1651 ) (The Re- conquest of Naples by the King Alfonso ) - Epic Poem

Sources and links

  • Biography (in Spanish ) - accessed March 27, 2012
  • Biography (in Spanish ) - accessed on March 26, 2012
  • Biography (in Spanish ) - accessed March 27, 2012
  • Brief biography at Biografias y Vida ( Spanish) - accessed March 27, 2012
  • Viceroy of Peru
  • Spaniard
  • Born in the 16th century
  • Died in 1658
  • Man
Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía House of Borgia Juan de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Montesclaros Integrated Authority File
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