The Borghese family and their patrimony from the 17th to the 19th century

CYCLE: Nobili a Roma
SPEAKER: Guido Pescosolido
DATE: Thursday, June 11, 6:00 PM

The Borghese family, originally from Siena, assumed a position of primary importance within the Roman nobility in terms of wealth and the extent of their real estate holdings, beginning with the ascent to the papal throne of Cardinal Camillo, who took the name Paul V. In just over thirty years, the Borghese prince accumulated the largest real estate fortune held by any member of the Roman aristocracy. This record remained undisputed, and indeed grew, until the 1880s, passing unscathed through the political and economic events and shifts that occurred in the Papal States and its capital over nearly three centuries.

Guido Pescosolido is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the Sapienza University of Rome, whose Faculty of Arts and Philosophy he served as dean from 2001 to 2009. He has also taught Modern History at the Universities of Messina, Naples Federico II, Roma Tre, and Luiss Guido Carli. Among his publications are: Terra e nobiltà. I Borghese. Secoli XVIII e XIX (Jouvence, Rome, 1979); Nazione, sviluppo economico e questione meridionale in Italia (Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli, 2017); and La questione meridionale in breve. Centocinquant’anni di storia (Donzelli, Rome, 2017; 2nd ed. 2021).