Borghese

Borghese, a family of great distinction in the republic of Siena, and afterwards at Rome. One of the family, CAMILLO BORGHÈSE, ascended the papal throne in 1605 as Paul V., and by him other members of the family were advanced to high positions. A marriage with the heiress of the house of Aldobrandini brought the Borghese family into the possession of great wealth.—CAMILLO FILIPPO LUDOVICO BORGHÈSE, Prince Borghese, born at Rome in 1775, joined the French army, and in 1803 married Pauline, the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, and widow of General Leclerc. Under the French empire he was for some time governor-general of the provinces beyond the Alps, and held his court at Turin. He sold the Borghese collection of artistic treasures to Napoleon for 13,000,000 francs, receiving in part-payment the Piedmontese national domains; but when these were reclaimed by the king of Sardinia in 1815, he received back some of the works of ancient art. After the overthrow of Napoleon he separated from his wife, and broke off all connection with the Bonaparte family. He lost Guastalla, which he had received through his wife, but retained the principalities of Sulmona and Rossano, his hereditary possessions. He died in 1832.—The Borghese Palace is one of the most magnificent at Rome, and its collection of paintings is remarkably fine.