Borgia, Stefano

BORGIA, STEFANO. - Cardinal, b. at Velletri on 3 Dec. 1731, d. while travelling to Lyon on 23 Nov. 1804. He was raised by his uncle Alessandro B., archbishop of Fermo, and in 1758 was sent by Clement XIII as governor to Benevento. Having returned to Rome in 1764, he was first secretary of the Congregation of the Index, then for 19 years of that of Propaganda, and he worked hard for the progress of its Urban College and in particular of its printing press. On 30 March 1789 he was created a cardinal of the title of St. Clement by Pius VI. When Rome was occupied by the French (18 Feb. 1798) he was arrested and then forced to leave the city and went into exile. He took part in the Conclave of Venice in 1799, and in 1802 he became prefect of Propaganda, thus continuing that activity on behalf of the missions which he had never abandoned. Invited in Oct. 1804 by Pius VII to accompany him to Paris for the coronation of Napoleon, he accepted willingly; he died during the journey and was buried at Lyon.

From his youth he devoted himself to archaeological studies and founded at Velletri a highly interesting museum with a library, which later passed to the Vatican. He was very generous with scholars, lending them all the means they required and helping them financially for the publication of works. He himself wrote very esteemed erudite works; among others: Breve istoria dell'antica città di Tadino (Rome 1751); Istoria della città di Benevento (3 vols., ibid. 1763-69); Vaticana confessio s. Petri chronologici testimonis illustrata (ibid. 1776). He always maintained active relations with foreign scholars, including Protestant ones.

Emma Santovito