During the 1848 uprisings, during which a failed attempt was made to free Venice from Austrian rule, Stefani was imprisoned.
He was exiled, along with 86 other political prisoners condemned by Austria for their "perseverance in unjustifiable intrigues and revolutionary for their subversive tendencies".
[3] These agencies made it easier to circulate news coverage between reporters whose work was originally done in English, French, German, or Italian.
Agenzia Stefani was founded with assistance from Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, who was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia.
[5] In 1881, the headquarters of Agenzia Stefani moved from Turin to Rome, which already had a large community of journalists covering news related to the Vatican.