BORGIA, STEFANO. — Cardinal, born at Velletri on 3 December 1731, died while travelling to Lyon on 23 November 1804. He was brought up by his uncle Alessandro B., archbishop of Fermo, and in 1758 was sent by Clement XIII as governor to Benevento. Returning to Rome in 1764, he was first secretary of the Congregation of the Index, then for 19 years of the Congregation of Propaganda, and worked zealously for the advancement of his Collegio Urbano, particularly its printing press. On 30 March 1789 he was created by Pius VI cardinal of the title of S. Clemente. When Rome was occupied by the French (18 February 1798), he was arrested and then compelled to leave the city, becoming an exile. He took part in the Conclave of Venice in 1799, and in 1802 became prefect of Propaganda, thus continuing that activity on behalf of the missions
which he had never abandoned. Invited by Pius VII in October 1804 to accompany him to Paris for Napoleon’s coronation, he willingly accepted; he died during the journey and was buried in Lyon.
From his youth he devoted himself to archaeological studies and founded at Velletri a most interesting museum with a library, which later passed to the Vatican. He was very generous toward scholars, providing them with all the means they requested and assisting them financially in publishing works. He himself wrote highly esteemed scholarly works, including: Breve istoria dell'antica città di Tadino (Rome 1751); Istoria della città di Benevento (3 vols., there 1763–69); Vaticana confessio s. Petri chronologici testimonis illustrata (there 1776). He always maintained active relations with foreign scholars, including Protestants.