God always reward the one who is detached. Juan Caballero y Ocio, great benefactor of Santiago de Querétaro. (1643-1707)

Abstract

This paper describes the royal offices held by Juan Caballero y Ocio, a person belonging to the new cradle of opulent families born in New Spain. To this end, I will focus my attention on the position of patron and, to a lesser extent, that of "mecenas" and benefactor, these being very useful for the wealthy class (and in particular, for Caballero y Ocio) by using them as documents that facilitated their insertion in the state and ecclesiastical apparatus of the Spanish empire. At the same time, I analyze the economic donation that this character made to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Santiago de Querétaro; an action that earned him the title of patron of that church. I consider this example is illustrative to understand how the dynamics of patronage worked in New Spain and how this activity was linked to the attainment of public and ecclesiastical positions. Finally, I mention some final reflections on this research and the scope it may have for future historical works.