Stefano Borgia, early patron of Indology

[Allen W Thrasher]

I have been asked about whether Cardinal Borgia belonged to THOSE
Borgias - a matter I ment to mention in my original message.  The
Velletri Borgias claimed descent from a knight who came from Spain in
the 12th century, so any connection to the Renaissance Borgias (who came
from Spain c. 1400) was remote.  On the other hand, there is a partial
resemblance in the arms.  In addition, the family had portraits of the
more reputable of the Spanish Borgias, namely St. Francis Borgia, Pope
Calixtus III, and Card. Carlo Borgia (17th c.), (these are now owned by
the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, formerly Propaganda
Fide), which implies they claimed kin.  Stefano also owned the missal of
Pope Alexander VI, but it would certainly be the sort of thing he would
want purely on bibliophilic motives if none others; reproductions from
it are a mainstay of the Vatican giftshops.

Allen Thrasher



Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Senior Reference Librarian       101 Independence Ave., SE
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Email: athr at loc.gov

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