BORGHESE, b5r-ga'zti. A family of great distinction in the Republic of Siena. and after wards in Rome. CAmit.Lo BORCIIESE ( 1552-1621) ascended the Papal throne in 1605 as Paul ., and by him other members of the family were ad vanced to high positions. A marriage with the heiress of the Aldobrandini brought the fami ly into the possession of great wealth.—CAMIL1.0 FILIPPO LLTOVICO, Prince Borghese (1775-1832), joined the French Army when it invaded Italy: and, in 1803, married Pauline, the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, and widow of General Le clerc. his wife subsequently received the prin cipality of Guastalla. and lie was created Duke of Guastalla, and under the French Empire he was for some time Governor-General of the prov inces beyond the Alps. He held his court in Turin, and was very popular among the Pied montese. He sold the Borghese collection of ar tistic treasures to Napoleon for 13,000,000 francs, receiving in part payment the Pied montese national domains: but when these were reclaimed by the King of Sardinia, in 1815, he received back some of the works of ancient art. The remainder are in the Louvre. After the
overthrow of Napoleon be separated from his wife and broke off all connection with the Bonaparte family. He lost Guastalla, but re tained the principalities of Sulmona and Ros sano. his hereditary possessions. His heir was his brother, Francesco Borghese, Prince Aldo brandini (1776-1S39), a general in the French service, who was succeeded by his eldest son, Marco Antonio (1814-S6). Of the latter's two sons, the elder, Prince Paolo, born in 1845, lost through unlucky speculations the greater part of his fortune, in consequence of which most of the precious collections of the family had to be sold at auction in 1891-92. The valuable family archives were acquired by Pope Leo X111. for the Vatican. The Borghese Palace is one of the most magnificent in Rome. The noble portico of the inner court is composed of 96 granite columns: the collection of paintings is remark ably fine. By negotiations concluded recently the art treasures of the palace became the property of the Italian Government.