José de la Borda facts for kids
José de la Borda (born around 1700 – died May 30, 1778) was a Spanish man who moved to New Spain (which is now Mexico) in the 1700s. He became incredibly wealthy from his silver mines in places like Taxco and Zacatecas. At one point, he was known as the richest person in Mexico. Today, people remember him for the amazing buildings he helped create, especially the beautiful Santa Prisca Church in Taxco.
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Early Life and Moving to Mexico
José de la Borda was born around 1699 or 1700. He might have been born in Spain or in France. His father, Pierre Laborde, was an army officer. His mother was Magdalena Sanchez from Spain.
José had an older brother named Francisco. Francisco moved to Mexico in 1708. Eight years later, he asked José to join him. Francisco had started a mine called La Lajuela near Taxco.
José arrived in Mexico in 1716 when he was only 17 years old. The Taxco area was famous for its rich mines. They produced iron, silver, and gold. When Francisco passed away in 1744, José took over the La Lajuela mine.
In 1720, José married Teresa Verdugo. She was the younger sister of Francisco's wife. José and Teresa had two children, Ana María and Manuel. Sadly, Teresa died in 1727, soon after Manuel was born.
Becoming a Mining Magnate
After working with his brother for some years, José started looking for new places to mine. In 1734, he found a very successful mine in Tlalpujahua. Later, when his brother Francisco died, José inherited his property.
He explored the original La Lajuela mine even deeper. This led to finding a huge amount of silver! With this new wealth, José began to pay for the building of the Santa Prisca Church. When this mine started to run out, he found an even richer one in Taxco called San Ignacio.
The money from the San Ignacio mine helped him rebuild and make the Santa Prisca Church even grander. However, this mine only produced silver for about nine years.
By 1760, José's mines in Taxco were almost empty. This meant he had to search for new mines. He looked in Real de Monte and then in Chontalpan in 1761. At this time, he was almost out of money.
José took out a loan using the Santa Prisca Church as a guarantee. He used this money to fund a trip to Zacatecas. There, he started working in a mine called “La Quebradilla.” But it didn't produce much silver.
With his last bit of money, he opened a new mine called “La Esperanza.” This mine made him rich again! José became the wealthiest man in Zacatecas, just as he had been in Taxco. He was even named a leader in Zacatecas.
In total, José de la Borda earned about 40 million pesos from his mines in Mexico. At the peak of his career, he was the richest man in Mexico, and possibly even the world.
Amazing Architectural Works
José de la Borda is mostly remembered for three incredible buildings that still stand today. These are the Santa Prisca Church in Taxco, the Borda House in Mexico City, and the Borda Garden in Cuernavaca.
Santa Prisca Church in Taxco
The most magnificent of his projects is the Santa Prisca Church. It was built between 1751 and 1758. José hired the best artists, like Miguel Cabrera, and skilled craftspeople for the church. He paid for the entire building and its upkeep, which cost a huge amount of money (over 471,000 pesos!). This meant he had complete control over how it looked.
The church is known for its fancy Baroque style. It has two tall towers made of pink stone. The church's organ is made from beautiful wood and is still played today, more than 250 years later. The church is named after Saint Prisca, a Roman noblewoman who bravely stood up for her Christian faith.
At the time, it was one of the most richly decorated churches in New Spain. Many of its sculptures and decorations were covered in gold and jewels. Over time, some of these precious items were moved to the Mexico City Cathedral and even to Notre Dame in Paris.
The Borda Garden was originally a large mansion owned by the Borda family in Cuernavaca. José probably bought the land for this house in 1763. It was across the street from a Franciscan monastery, which is now the Cuernavaca cathedral. José de la Borda passed away in this house in 1778.
Later, José's son, Manuel, loved plants. He turned the mansion's grounds into beautiful gardens filled with flowers and fruit trees. These gardens also have many fountains and a man-made lake. They were finished in 1783.
In 1865, the Borda Garden became the summer home for Emperor Maximilian I and his wife Carlota Amalia. It hosted many important parties and meetings in the 1800s and 1900s. Today, it is a public park, and the gardens are still cared for. The house itself has been turned into a museum.
Borda House in Mexico City
The last famous building is the Borda House in Mexico City. It is located on Madero Street in the historic center. This building was meant to be huge, covering an entire city block. It was supposed to be as grand as the palaces of Hernán Cortés.
José gave this house as a gift to his wife after he became rich again from his mines in Zacatecas. The building had two iron balconies on its upper floors that wrapped around the entire structure. This meant José could walk around the whole block without leaving his house!
Since José's death, this building has been divided up. Most of it is gone, except for a smaller part on Madero Street. You can still see parts of the unique double balcony there.
Legacy
The Borda family motto was: "God gives to La Borda and La Borda gives to God." This shows how generous José was to the Roman Catholic Church. The Santa Prisca Church is his biggest gift, but he also supported many other charities.
The Archbishop of New Spain, Antonio Jimenez y Frias, praised him. He called José "a miner known for his kindness, rare in his goodness, special for his humility, a true hero among the rich miners of this America." Even Benedict XIV, a Pope, signed a special document calling José de la Borda a friend.
A type of Mexican gecko, called Phyllodactylus bordai, is named in his honor.
See also
- List of people from Morelos, Mexico
In Spanish: José de la Borda para niños
