How did the Borghese Title come about?
The Borghese family dates back to the 1100s. The family originated in Siena, Italy,where they got into the banking business, which even today, is still represented in Italy. Becoming very wealthy and influential throughout Italy, one of the family members, Camillo Borghese, become Pope Paul V, in 1605. His nephew, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, finished the facade of St. Peter’s in Rome (where his name is prominently inscribed), as well as sponsoring most of the work of Bernini, daily on exhibit at the world-renown Borghese Gallery, also in Rome and also built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Titles were then bestowed on the various heads of the Borghese family by Pope Paul V. The Pope, at that time, was equivalent to a King, owning large territories of land, armies, etc. In those days, titles went together with the territories of land owned. (In essence, titles represented: titles to land). Our branch of the family received five different titles, among which: Prince of San Paolo and Prince
