Francisco de Borja y Aragón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco de Borja y Aragón
Count of Rebolledo
Prince of Squillace |
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| 12th Viceroy of Peru | |
| In office December 18, 1615 – December 31, 1621 |
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| Monarch | Philip II |
| Preceded by | Juan de Mendoza |
| Succeeded by | Juan Jiménez de Montalvo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1581 Madrid |
| Died | 26 September 1658 Madrid |
Francisco de Borja y Aragón (1581 – September 26, 1658) was a famous Spanish writer and an important government official. He was also known as the Count of Rebolledo and Prince of Squillace. From 1615 to 1621, he served as the viceroy of Peru. A viceroy was like a governor who ruled a colony in the name of the king.
Life and Achievements
Francisco de Borja y Aragón was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1581. His family was very important; he was related to King Ferdinand II of Aragon and even to a pope, Pope Alexander VI. He was also connected to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Saint Francis Borgia.
Francisco grew up and was educated in Spain. He became a key official in the Spanish royal court. He was a knight commander in a military order called Santiago. He was also a lord of the bedchamber to the king, which meant he was a close helper to the king. People knew him for his writing skills too.
Viceroy of Peru
In 1614, Francisco de Borja y Aragón was chosen to be the viceroy of Peru. He officially started this important job in 1615. During his time as viceroy, he made many changes and improvements.
He helped to reorganize the University of San Marcos, making it better for students. He also started two new schools in Cuzco. One was the Colegio del Príncipe, which was for the sons of Indigenous noble families. The other was the Colegio de San Francisco, for the sons of the Spanish conquerors.
Francisco also created the Tribunal del Consulado. This was a special court and a group that managed business and trade in the viceroyalty. He made the navy stronger and improved the artillery (big guns). He also boosted mining in the Chucuito area, which helped the colony earn more money for the government.
In 1617, he divided the government of Río de la Plata into two parts: Buenos Aires and Paraguay. Both of these areas were under the control of the Viceroyalty of Peru. He supported the Jesuits, a religious group, and worked with them to promote the Catholic faith.
Return to Spain
When King Philip III, who had supported Francisco, died, Francisco de Borja y Aragón returned to Spain. He left Peru on December 31, 1621. Back in Spain, he spent his time writing poetry. He worked on poems he had written when he was younger and created new works in both poetry and prose. He passed away in Madrid in 1658.
People in Lima, Peru, called him el Virrey poeta, which means "The Poet Viceroy." This was because of his amazing talent for writing.
His Writings
Francisco de Borja y Aragón was a talented writer. Here are some of his well-known works:
- Naples recuperada por el Rey Alfonso (Naples Regained by King Alfonso V of Aragon). This was an epic poem published in 1651.
- Obras en Verso (Works in Verse). This collection of his poems was published in Antwerp in 1654.
- Oraciones y Meditaciones de la Vida de Jesucristo (Speeches and Meditations on the Life of Jesus Christ). This book was published in Brussels in 1661.
The famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes even praised Francisco de Borja y Aragón's works in his own book, Viaje del Parnaso, which came out in 1614.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco de Borja y Aragón para niños
