Luisa de Borja and Aragon
Known as the Holy Duchess, she was the sister of Saint Francisco de Borja.
Luisa de Borja y Aragón, known as the Holy Duchess, sister of Saint Francisco de Borja, was born in Gandia on August 19, 1512.
The daughter of the III Duke of Gandia was hastily sent to Zaragoza with her maternal grandmother, Ana de Gurrea, to keep her away from the disturbances of the Germanías that devastated the region. But she was soon taken to Medina Sidonia, where she lived in the house of Duchess Ana de Ella, her maternal aunt, until she married in 1541.
It seems that since she was a child she had taken a liking for the Franciscan habit, very present in the family tradition.
In 1540 the marriage agreements were signed with Martín de Aragón y Gurrea, IV Count of Ribagorza and IV Duke of Villahermosa, much younger than her. The nuptials had been arranged by her brother, Francisco, and the wedding was celebrated the following year in Medina Sidonia.
The spouses establish their residence in Pedrola and Zaragoza, where they have their possessions, from where Isabel will actively collaborate in the expansion of the Society of Jesus, which she will bail out on more than one occasion.
In 1543 his first son, Juan, was born, followed by Fernando (1546), Ana (1547), Martín (1549), Francisco (1551) and, finally, Inés (1554).
Luisa de Borja died in Zaragoza on October 4, 1560, buried in a Dominican habit. Her remains rest in the church of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, in Pedrola.
