Alessandro Borgia

For the lieutenant of the Order of Malta, see Alessandro Borgia (1783-1871).

Alessandro Borgia (1682, Velletri – 1764, Fermo) was an Italian bishop and archbishop.

Life

From a patrician family of Velletri which was only distantly related to the better known house of Borgia, he was the son of Clemente Erminio Borgia. He studied theology and letters at the "Sapienza" and in 1706 followed Monsignor Bussi to Cologne as secretary to the legation there, succeeding him as nuncio on Bussi's promotion to cardinal in 1712. He remained in northern Europe until 1714, when he was made governor of Assisi, in 1716 becoming bishop of Nocera Umbra. He wanted to go to China as a representative of the Holy See but – impressed by the differences arising in the Chinese rites between the Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries and the Chinese emperor he chose to stay in Italy. In 1724 he was made archbishop of Fermo, remaining in that diocese until the end of his life.

A scholar, he was in correspondence with Ludovico Antonio Muratori. Borgia also wrote a history of his birthplace[1] e delle diocesi che ha retto.[2] From 1728 to 1730 he also collected historical documents relating to the history of the Fermo archdiocese, forming the foundation of the diocesan archive of Fermo.[3] Alessandro's nephew Stefano Borgia was put under his guardianship by Stefano's parents when the boy was nine years old, and Alessandro handed down his love of culture to him – Stefano edited Alessandro's works after the latter's death[4] and also created the Museo Borgiano in Velletri.

Works

Notes

  1. Istoria della Chiesa, e della città di Velletri, 1724
  2. Alessandro Alfieri (ed.) La cronaca della Diocesi nocerina dell'Umbria, scritta dal suo Vescovo Alessandro Borgia ; tradotta dal codice latino della Biblioteca vaticana, e pubblicata, con prefazione e note, da Alessandro Alfieri, Rome, Desclee e C., 1910.
  3. (Italian) Quaderni dell'Archivio storico arcivescovile di Fermo
  4. Stefano Borgia (ed.) Del regno di Maria. Omelie di monsignor Alessandro Borgia, ridotte alle stampe da monsignore Stefano Borgia, Como, appresso Francesco Scotti, 1785.

Sources