Federico Borromeo

His Eminence Federico Borromeo
Cardinal–Archbishop of Milan Marquess of Angera Count of Arona
Portrait by Giulio Cesare Procaccini, 1610
Church	Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Milan
Appointed	24 April 1595
Term ended	21 September 1631
Predecessor	Gaspare Visconti
Successor	Cesare Monti
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Orders
Consecration	11 June 1595 by Clement VIII
Created cardinal	18 December 1587 by Sixtus V
Personal details
Born	18 August 1564 Milan, Duchy of Milan
Died	21 September 1631(1631-09-21) (aged 67) Milan, Duchy of Milan
Buried	Milan Cathedral
Parents	Giulio Cesare Borromeo Margherita Borromeo
Alma mater	University of Pavia

Federico Borromeo (Italian: [fedeˈriːko borroˈmɛːo]; 18 August 1564 – 21 September 1631) was an Italian cardinal, Archbishop of Milan, and prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation in Italy.^[1] His acts of charity, particularly during the famine of 1627–28, and his devoted heroism in the plague of 1630 are well known from the account in Alessandro Manzoni’s novel The Betrothed.^[2] 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 to the library, donating his own considerable collection of paintings. Borromeo’s published works, mainly in Latin and numbering over 100, exhibit his interest in ecclesiastical archaeology, sacred painting, and collecting. In 1623, he reacquired the feudal rights over what has historically been known as the “State” of the Borromeo within the Duchy of Milan, becoming the Marquess of Angera and Count of Arona, titles still used by the family as a courtesy.