Background
Federico Borromeo was born on August 18, 1564 in Milan as the second son of Giulio Cesare Borromeo, Count of Arona, and Margherita Trivulzio.
Federico Borromeo was born on August 18, 1564 in Milan as the second son of Giulio Cesare Borromeo, Count of Arona, and Margherita Trivulzio.
He studied in Bologna with Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti and in 1580, at the age of 16, he asked to become a Jesuit. His cousin Charles Borromeo dissuaded him and sent him to the Collegio Borromeo of Pavia where he remained five years. In May 1585 he earned a doctorate in theology at the University of Pavia. Following the death of his cousin Charles, he was sent to Rome for higher studies, where he was strongly influenced by Philip Neri, Caesar Baronius and Robert Bellarmine.
Federico Borromeo was created cardinal by Pope Sixtus V on 18 December 1587, at the age of only 23 years. He resided in Rome almost continuously until 1595. During this period he was on intimate terms with St. Philip Neri, who became his spiritual director, and through the Oratorians gave much of his vast income to the poor. Meanwhile he applied himself with diligence to the study of theology, canon law, and Hebrew and to the collection of statues and inscriptions. In 1595 Borromeo was appointed archbishop of Milan and for thirty-six years displayed great zeal and ability in every sphere of ecclesiastical activity. Always very generous to the poor, in times of pestilence he showed a heroism worthy of his cousin Carlo, at whose canonization he assisted in 1610. He regularly visited the parishes of his archdiocese and held one provincial and fourteen diocesan synods. In 1609 he founded the famous Ambrosian Library and richly endowed it with books and manuscripts; in the conclave of 1623, which elected Maffeo Barberini as Pope Urban VIII, Borromeo received fifteen votes. Borromeo died in Milan September 22, 1631
(A cura del gruppo Editoriale Zaccaria . 16mo pp. XV-200 B...)