Borghese

Borghese, Italian noble family originally from the republic of Siena. In the 13th century they served the Sienese state and Church as public officials. By the 16th century they had moved to Rome and gained greater wealth, power, and influence. This tradition of public affairs continued into the 19th century with one of the family playing an important part in Franco-Italian relations.

Galgano Borghese was ambassador (1456) of the papacy to Naples; another, Pietro, was nominated by Pope Leo X as a Roman senator. Marcantio (1504-1574) moved to Rome, and his son Camillo became Pope Paul V in 1605. Paul V bestowed many favours on members of his family: one nephew, Marcantio II (1601-1658) who is the direct ancestor of the present branch of the Borghese family, was made Prince of Vivaro and of the principality of Sulmona. By careful marriages the family acquired great wealth from the Orsini and Aldobrandini families. Another nephew, Scipione Caffarelli (1576-1635), was made a cardinal, and became deeply embroiled in Church politics. He devoted much of his great wealth to the restoration and construction of many of the churches and palaces in Rome. It was he who patronized Gianlorenzo Bernini, the sculptor and architect, and who built the famous Villa Borghese with its collection of paintings and sculptures. A later Borghese, Marcantio IV (1730-1800), carried on the tradition of art patronage by renovating the Villa Borghese, a project financed by marrying the heiress of the Salviati family.

The Sienese branch of the family continued to play a part in Church affairs, with three of them being made cardinals: Pier Maria (1600-1642), Francesco (1697-1759), and another Scipione (1734-1782). Camillo Fillipo Ludovico (1775-1832) married Marie Pauline, Napoleon's sister, in 1803 and sold much of the family art collection to Napoleon. This is now in the Louvre in Paris. Later he built a magnificent palace in Florence, and restocked the Villa Borghese in Rome with works of art.