Under the Cavour government, the agency gained huge advantages through the granting of secret funds while the Statuto Albertino banned privileges and private monopolies.
As an unofficial government agency, the "Stefani" followed different transfers of Italian capital cities, from Turin to Florence in 1865, then to Rome in 1871[5] In 1881, Hector Friedländer took control and kept it for 37 years.
[6] During the course of the 1890s, Francesco Crispi was a promoter of a break with Havas, accused of publishing false and biased news, to encourage the foreign policy of France.
The following year a new agreement with Havas granted it access to information from the United States and Latin America, thanks to cable connections created between New York City and Paris.
With the creation of the Italian Social Republic, the state took ownership of Agenzia Stefani and its headquarters was moved to Milan, and placed under the direction of Luigi Barzini senior.