BORGIA, Stefano, Italian ecclesiastic: b. Velletri, 3 Dec. 1731; d. Lyon, 23 Nov. 1804. He was brought up by his uncle, Alexander Borgia, archbishop of Fenno, and in 1750, on becoming a member of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona, commenced at Velletri to form a museum which has since become one of the richest private collections in existence. In 1759 he was appointed by Benedict XIV governor of Benevento, and in 1770 he became secretary to the College of Propaganda, which brought him intb immediate relation with missionaries to all parts of the world, and enabled him, at comparatively little expense, to enrich his museum with manuscripts, coins, statues, idols and all the other rarities which each country possessed. In 1789 Pius VI made him a car dinal, and at the same time appointed him inspector-general of the foundling hospital, into which he introduced extensive reforms. In 1797 the revolutionary spirit which had broken out in France extended itself to Rome, and the Pope, as the best means of counteracting it, gave all his confidence to Borgia and installed him as dictator. The situation was extremely dif ficult, but he showed himself worthy of the trust, and gained such ascendency over the pub lic mind that tranquillity and good order re mained uninterrupted till 1798. By this time
the French were at the gates, and the popular party, becoming dominant, established a repub lic. The Pope was compelled to depart, and Cardinal Borgia, at first arrested, was ordered, on obtaining his liberty, to quit the papal states. After disembarking at Leghorn he repaired to Venice and Padua, and continued regularly to discharge his functions in connection with the Propaganda as if nothing had occurred to inter rupt them. He returned to Rome with the new Pope, Pius VII, who treated him with the same confidence as his predecessor. Afterward, when Pius VII was carried off to France, Borgia was ordered to accompany him, and he accordingly set out, but had only reached Lyons when he was seized with a serious illness, and died. He was the author of several antiquarian and his torical works including 'Memorie istoriche della pontificia citta di Benevento dal secolo VIII al secolo XVIII) (3 vols., 1763-69), and deserves honorable mention for his liberal pa tronage of arts and artists. It is said that he once sold a gold plate from his collection to defray the expense of printing San Bar tolommeo's 'Systema Brahmanicum.)