José de la Borda

Don José de la Borda, portrait is located in the Santa Prisca Church of Taxco, Guerrero.

José de la Borda (Joseph de Laborde in French; c. 1700 – May 30, 1778) was a Spaniard who migrated to New Spain in the 18th century, amassing a great fortune in mines in Taxco and Zacatecas in Mexico. At one point, he was the richest man in Mexico. He is best remembered today through several architectural works that he sponsored, the most monumental being the Santa Prisca Church in Taxco.

Early life and arrival to Mexico José de la Borda was born either in the province of Jaca in the then kingdom of Aragon (Spain) or in the French province of Béarn in either 1699 or 1700. Borda was the second son of Pierre Laborde, an officer in the army of Louis XIV of France and a Spaniard named Magdalena Sanchez.

José's older brother, Francisco, left Europe for Mexico in 1708. Eight years later, he wrote for José to join him to work with him at the La Lajuela mine he founded in Tehuilotepec, near Taxco. At the time, the Taxco area had the richest mining in Mexico, producing iron, silver, gold and more. The church's organ is made with fine wood, and is still played 250 years after it was brought from Germany.

The last is the Borda House located in Mexico City on Madero Street in the historic center. Originally the building encompassed an entire city block and was supposed to rival the palaces of Hernán Cortés and his descendants. It was also a present from Borda to his wife after he regained his wealth from his mines in Zacatecas. The building has two ironwork balconies on the two upper floors that went around the entire structure, allowing Borda to walk around the block without ever leaving his house. Since Borda's death, this building has been partitioned and most of it is lost except for a small section on Madero Street. The remains of the double balcony are still present.

Legacy God gives to La Borda and La Borda gives to God, reads his family's motto, explaining his generosity to the Roman Catholic Church.