Fernando de Borja y Aragón
Don Fernando de Borja y Aragón or Ferran de Borja y d'Aragón (1583 in Lisboa – 28 November 1665, in Madrid) was a Spanish noble from the House of Borja and the House of Castro. He was the III Count of Mayalde, Viceroy of the royal house, and the Prince of Esquilache.
Life
Fernando was the son of Juan de Borja y Castro, I Count of Mayalde and his wife, Francisca de Aragón y Barreto, Countess of Ficalho, and paternal niece of Francisco de Borja who was also Fernando's paternal grandfather.
As a child, he served at the court as a Menino of the empress, María de Austria y Portugal, and later for Philip II of Spain.
At the age of 20, he was given land and title by Philip III of Spain and was sent as an ambassador to Savoy, Florence and Rome. In 1621, the new king, Philip IV of Spain named Fernando the Gentilhombre de cámara con ejercicio and the Viceroy of Aragon, a post he held until 1632.
In 1635, he was designated the Viceroy of Valencia until he was called back to court five years later in 1640.
He was made the Sumiller de Corps of the Prince of Asturias, Balthasar Charles until June 4, 1643 when he built his house.
In 1649, his wife dies and in 1658, his older brother dies ceding him all his titles.
In 1651, after the death of the powerful Luis Méndez de Haro, Marquis of the Carpio, the king conferred on Fernando the title of Caballerizo mayor, the last of such titles granted by Phillip IV.
Fernando died in 1665, the same year as the death of the king, Phillip IV.
Marriage and Descendants
While Fernando was the Viceroy of Aragon, he married his niece, María Francisca de Borja y Aragón, the daughter of his older brother, Francisco de Borja y Aragón, the II Count of Mayalde who would later cede his title as Prince of Esquilache to Fernand. His wife would die in 1649.
| Preceded by Diego Carrillo de Mendoza y Pimentel |
Viceroy of Aragon 1621–1632 |
Succeeded by Jerónimo Caraffa Carraciolo |
| Preceded by Pedro Fajardo de Zúñiga y Requesens |
Viceroy of Valencia 1635–1640 |
Succeeded by Federico Colonna |