{"id":3129,"date":"2026-08-09T00:42:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T22:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/?p=3129"},"modified":"2026-08-09T00:42:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T22:42:05","slug":"who-was-saint-francis-borgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/","title":{"rendered":"Who was Saint Francis Borgia?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Francisco de Borja<\/strong> (Gandia, 1510\u2013Rome, 1572) was a courtier, Viceroy of Catalonia, 4th Duke of Gandia and, later, third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. His life offers an understanding of how noble power, religious reform and the cultural development of 16th-century Gandia intertwined.<\/p>\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Far from a biography reduced to a sudden conversion, his journey was a gradual transformation. Before entering the Society of Jesus, he governed territories, raised a family and established institutions that still form part of Gandia&#8217;s urban landscape today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contenidos<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a7e428c8b30a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #e41725;color:#e41725\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #e41725;color:#e41725\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a7e428c8b30a\"  aria-label=\"Alternar\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/#From_Gandia_to_the_court_of_Charles_V\" >From Gandia to the court of Charles V<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/#Francisco_de_Borja_as_4th_Duke_of_Gandia\" >Francisco de Borja as 4th Duke of Gandia<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/#From_duke_to_Jesuit\" >From duke to Jesuit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/#Canonisation_and_artistic_legacy\" >Canonisation and artistic legacy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/who-was-saint-francis-borgia\/#Where_to_trace_his_footsteps_in_Gandia\" >Where to trace his footsteps in Gandia<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_Gandia_to_the_court_of_Charles_V\"><\/span>From Gandia to the court of Charles V<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Francisco was born on <strong>28 October 1510<\/strong> in the Palau Ducal. He was the son of the 3rd Duke of Gandia and the paternal great-grandson of <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/pope-alexander-vi-borgia\/\"><strong>Pope Alexander VI<\/strong><\/a>. The Revolt of the Germanies marked his childhood and led to his move to Zaragoza, where he continued his education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1529, he married <strong>Leonor de Castro<\/strong>, lady-in-waiting to Empress Isabella of Portugal. They had eight children and lived near the imperial court. The death of Isabella in 1539 left a profound mark on Francisco and was later remembered as a moment of reflection on the fragility of power. The phrase traditionally attributed to him before her coffin cannot be treated as a reliable transcript; his religious evolution unfolded over the following years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/isabel-de-portugal-por-Tiziano.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"687\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/isabel-de-portugal-por-Tiziano.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of Isabella of Portugal painted by Titian\" class=\"wp-image-221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/isabel-de-portugal-por-Tiziano.jpg 567w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/isabel-de-portugal-por-Tiziano-248x300.jpg 248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Portrait of Isabella of Portugal, by Titian (1548), Museo del Prado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same year he was appointed Viceroy of Catalonia. He held the post until 1543, when he inherited the duchy following his father&#8217;s death and returned to Gandia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Francisco_de_Borja_as_4th_Duke_of_Gandia\"><\/span>Francisco de Borja as 4th Duke of Gandia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As duke, he administered his estates and promoted initiatives throughout the city. The official history of the <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/ducal-palace-borgia-gandia-history-visit\/\"><strong>Ducal Palace of the Borgias<\/strong><\/a> credits him with expanding the city walls, renovating the old Hospital de Sant Marc and promoting the college that gave rise to the University of Gandia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/old-university-gandia-francis-borgia-legacy\/\"><strong>old University of Gandia<\/strong><\/a> was established in 1549 as the first university run by the Society of Jesus. That project permanently linked the name of Francisco de Borja with education and left an identifiable mark on the present-day Escuelas P\u00edas complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_duke_to_Jesuit\"><\/span>From duke to Jesuit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the death of Leonor in 1546, Francisco informed Ignatius of Loyola of his desire to enter the Society. The process was handled with care: he needed to ensure family continuity, arrange his responsibilities and complete his training. He took his vows in 1548, obtained a doctorate in theology in 1550 and renounced the duchy in favour of his son Carlos. In 1551, he was ordained as a priest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"645\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-1024x645.jpg\" alt=\"Conversion of the Duke of Gandia, painting by Jos\u00e9 Moreno Carbonero\" class=\"wp-image-224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-1024x645.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-1536x967.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-2048x1290.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2880px-Conversion_del_duque_de_Gandia_Museo_del_Prado-1568x988.jpg 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Conversion of the Duke of Gandia<\/em>, by Jos\u00e9 Moreno Carbonero (1884), Museo del Prado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Within the order, he took on increasing responsibilities. He served as Commissary General for Spain from 1554, and in <strong>1565<\/strong> was elected third Superior General, following Ignatius of Loyola and Diego La\u00ednez. During his seven years at the head of the Society, he worked on its organisation, education and the expansion of a still-young order. He died in Rome on <strong>30 September 1572<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Canonisation_and_artistic_legacy\"><\/span>Canonisation and artistic legacy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Francisco de Borja was beatified in 1624 and canonised by Clement X in <strong>1671<\/strong>. His image was popularised through paintings and sculptures that highlighted different aspects of his legacy: his renunciation of power, his pastoral work or his status as a Jesuit saint. These works are later interpretations rather than direct contemporary records of the events depicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/St._Francis_Borgia_Helping_a_Dying_Impenitent_by_Goya-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"845\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/St._Francis_Borgia_Helping_a_Dying_Impenitent_by_Goya-1.jpg\" alt=\"Saint Francis Borgia attending to a dying man, painting by Goya\" class=\"wp-image-225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/St._Francis_Borgia_Helping_a_Dying_Impenitent_by_Goya-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/St._Francis_Borgia_Helping_a_Dying_Impenitent_by_Goya-1-213x300.jpg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Saint Francis Borgia and the Impenitent Dying Man<\/em>, by Goya (1788), Valencia Cathedral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"658\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja-658x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Saint Francis Borgia, painting by Alonso Cano\" class=\"wp-image-227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja-658x1024.jpg 658w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja-193x300.jpg 193w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja-768x1195.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja-987x1536.jpg 987w, https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/San_Francisco_de_Borja.jpg 1093w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Francisco de Borja, by Alonso Cano (1624), Museum of Fine Arts of Seville<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_trace_his_footsteps_in_Gandia\"><\/span>Where to trace his footsteps in Gandia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Palau Ducal dels Borja:<\/strong> his birthplace and the main venue for learning about his period as duke.<\/li><li><strong>Old University:<\/strong> the Escuelas P\u00edas architectural complex commemorates the educational project he promoted.<\/li><li><strong>Collegiate Church of Santa Mar\u00eda:<\/strong> a <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/collegiate-church-santa-maria-gandia\/\">visit to the Collegiate Church<\/a> includes the memory of the place where he was baptised.<\/li><li><strong>Hospital de Sant Marc y Santa Clara:<\/strong> the present-day <a href=\"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/museo-de-santa-clara-en-gandia\/\">Santa Clara Museum<\/a>, housed in part of the old hospital, helps expand the artistic and religious context of the Borgias.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To read more about his biography, you can consult the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jesuits.global\/es\/saint-blessed\/san-francisco-de-borja\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">official profile by the Society of Jesus<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.palauducal.com\/los-personajes\/francisco-de-borja\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Palau Ducal fact sheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Francisco de Borja was the 4th Duke of Gandia and third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Discover his life and the sites you can visit in Gandia to trace his legacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"borgia26_language":"en","borgia26_translation_group":"san-francisco-borja","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,121,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historia","category-ilustres","category-los-borgia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3129"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3179,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3129\/revisions\/3179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotelborgia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}