Borromeo, Federico

Borromeo, Federico cousin of Cardinal Borromeo, was born at Milan in 1564. " He resided first at Bologna and then at Pavia, and afterward went to Rome, where he was made a cardinal in 1587. He was both a classical and Oriental scholar, and was intimate at Rome with Baronio, Bellarminec and the pious philanthropist Filippo Neri. In 1595 he was made archbishop of Milan, where he adopted the views of his cousin and predecessor St. Charles, and enforced his regulations concerning discipline with great success. He used to visit by turns all the districts, however remote and obscure, in his diocese, and his zealous labors have been recently eloquently eulogized by Manzoni in his 'Promessi Sposi.' He was the founder of the Ambrosian Library, on which he spent very large sums; and he employed various learned men, who went about several parts of Europe and the East for the purpose of collecting manuscripts. About 9000 manuscripts were thus collected. Cardinal Borromeo established a printing-press, annexed to the library, and appointed several learned professors to examine and make known to the world these literary treasures. He also established several academies schools, and charitable foundations. His philanthropy, charity, and energy of mind were exhibited especially on the occasion of the famine which afflicted Milan in 1627-28, and also during the great plague of 1630 He died September 22, 1631."-English Cyclopedia, s.v.