Federico Borromeo


Federico Borromeo
Cardinal, Archbishop of Milan
Portrait by Giulio Cesare Procaccini, 1610
ChurchCatholic Church
ArchdioceseMilan
Appointed24 April 1595
Term ended21 September 1631
PredecessorGaspare Visconti
SuccessorCesare Monti
Other post(s)Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Orders
Consecration11 June 1595
by Clement VIII
Created cardinal18 December 1587
by Sixtus V
Personal details
Born18 August 1564
Died21 September 1631(1631-09-21) (aged 67)
Milan, Duchy of Milan
BuriedMilan Cathedral
ParentsGiulio Cesare Borromeo
Margherita Borromeo
Alma materUniversity of Pavia

Federico Borromeo (Italian: [fedeˈriːko borroˈmɛːo]; 18 August 1564 – 21 September 1631) was an Italian cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, a prominent figure of Counter-Reformation in Italy.[1] Federico was a hero of the plague of 1630, described in Alessandro Manzoni's historical novel, The Betrothed. He was a great patron of the arts and founded the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, one of the first free public libraries in Europe. In 1618 he added a picture gallery, donating his own considerable collection of paintings. His published works, mainly in Latin, number over 100. They show his interest in ecclesiastical archaeology, sacred painting, and collecting.

  1. ^ David Cheney. "Federico Cardinal Borromeo (Sr.)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 20 October 2012.