Federico Borromeo

His Eminence Federico Borromeo
Cardinal, Archbishop of Milan
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 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.