Juan de Borja y Castro

Abstract

Chapter 1 focuses on Don Juan de Borja (1533–1606) to examine how a high-ranking nobleman in Madrid gained access to goods from overseas. It analyses the ways in which Borja mobilised both informal and formal institutions to acquire non-European things, and how these same structures conditioned and shaped his consumption practices. The chapter begins by reconstructing Borja’s social network, highlighting his connections to the Spanish Habsburgs, the Portuguese nobility, and the Society of Jesus. It then examines his use of formal institutions, notably the Council of Portugal, both to advance his estate and to secure access to overseas supply channels. The final section explores his relationship with the Lisbon broker Luís de Figueiredo Falcão, showing how informal exchanges were facilitated through institutional frameworks. The chapter concludes that Borja’s consumption was closely tied to his life trajectory and social positioning.