House of Borromeo

Borromeo
Borromeo
Latin: Humilitas nomini)
Country	Duchy of Milan; Golden Ambrosian Republic; Transpadane Republic; Cisalpine Republic; Italian Republic; Kingdom of Italy; Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia; Kingdom of Italy
Current region	Italy; European Union
Place of origin	Rome
Founded	1445; 579 years ago
Founder	Vitaliano I
Current head	Vitaliano XI
Titles	Prince of Angera; Marquess of Romagnano; Count of Arona; Count of Peschiera; Lord of Cannobio and Vergante; Lord of Val Vigezzo;
Arese

The

Catholic Reformation. In 1916, the head of the family was granted the title Prince of Angera

by the King of Italy.

The best known members of the family were the

Ambrosian Library. The figure of the Borromean rings, which forms part of the family's coat of arms, is well known in the diverse fields of topology, psychoanalysis, and theology

.

History

Around 1300 this was one of a number of merchant families in San Miniato to carry the name "'Buon Romei'" (or 'Borromei') because of their origins in the city of Rome.^[1]

The first member of the family to come to prominence was Filippo who, backed by Holy Roman Emperor

Ghibellines of San Miniato in their 1367 revolt against the Florentine Guelphs. In 1370 he was taken prisoner by the Florentines and decapitated. He left five children who had taken refuge in Milan at the time of the revolt. The sons Borromeo and Giovanni founded the Borromei Bank in Milan, with other family members running banks in Venice and Florence

.

Filippo Buonromei married Talda di Tenda, sister of

Lago Maggiore

. (The castle of Angera is still today owned by the family.) Ever since, the Borromeos were the leading land owners (and at times Milanese governors) around the Lago Maggiore.

Vitaliano Borromeo († 1449) had built a castle at Peschiera Borromeo near Milan in 1437. In 1450 Francesco I Sforza was backed by the family in his struggle to become heir and successor of the Visconti dukes and used the castle as a base for his siege of Milan. When he became duke, his gratitude for the family's services overwhelmed them with rewards and honours, among which was the title of a count of Peschiera for Vitaliano's son Filippo Borromeo (1419–1464) in 1461. Filippo expanded the bank as far as Bruges and London. The business was run at least until 1455.^[4]

In 1520 Ludovico Borromeo built the castle Rocca Vitaliana at

Carlo Borromeo

(1538−1584), became a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, archbishop of Milan, and a canonized saint.

The family has owned the Borromean Islands since the 16th century. The islands have beautiful gardens. Two of the islands have grand palaces, still owned by the family. Vitaliano Borromeo built a summer palace on the Isola Bella for his wife Isabella between 1650 and 1671 which was later enlarged by cardinal Giberto III. (1615–1672) and count Vitaliano VI. (1620–1690). Count Carlo IV. (1657–1734) had the garden terraces added. The family still owns the majority of the Borromean Islands.

The "State" of the Borromeo

Between the fourteenth century and the seventeenth century, the Borromeo were able to gain control of many fiefs in the

Napoleon Bonaparte who revoked all the Borromeo's privileges and jurisdictions over this area; so the Borromeo maintained there only their ample estates as the Borromean Islands.^[6]

Castle Rocca di Angera
Palace on Isola Bella
Palace on Isola Madre
Castello Borromeo in Peschiera Borromeo

Cardinals

Seven cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church were members of the Borromeo family:

Carlo Borromeo (St. Carlo), *1538 †1584
Federico Borromeo, *1564 †1631
Giberto III Borromeo, *1615 †1672^[7]
Federico Borromeo
, *1617 †1673
Giberto Bartolomeo Borromeo, *1671 †1740^[8]
Vitaliano Borromeo, *1720 †1793
Edoardo Borromeo, *1822 †1881

St. Carlo
Federico
Giberto III
Federico
Giberto Bartolomeo
Vitaliano
Edoardo

Styles

Count of Arona, by decree of the Duke of Milan dated 26 May 1446 for Vitaliano Vitaliani, adopted Borromeo (1390-1449).^[9]
Count of Peschiera in 1461 for Filippo Borromeo (1419–1464)
Marquess of Angera, in 1623 by Philipp IV. of Spain for cardinal Federico Borromeo (1564-1631), confirmed in 1896 by the King of Italy for Conte Giberto Borromeo Arese
Prince of Angera, in 1916 by the King of Italy for Conte Giberto Borromeo Arese (in Primogeniture)

Family members

Vitaliano VI Borromeo (1620-1690), art collector
Carlo IV Borromeo Arese, 15th Count of Arona, 5th Marquess of Angera (1657-1734), added his mother Giulia
Viceroy of Naples and governor of the Holy Roman Emperor in the Kingdom of Italy

Viceroy of Naples

and Minister plenipotentiary of the Austrian Netherlands.

Giberto Borromeo Arese (1815-1885), painter

Current members

Current members include the daughters of Count Ferdinando Borromeo, a cadet son of Prince Vitaliano Borromeo. These are the four sisters:

Lavinia Borromeo is the wife of
Bilderberg Conferences
.
Fürstenberg
.
Isabella Borromeo is the wife of Ugo Brachetti Peretti, a manager (oil executive) from a noble family, son of Count Aldo Maria Brachetti Peretti.
Princess Caroline of Hanover
. Beatrice is a well-known political journalist in Italy.

Notes

^ "Home". borromeo.it.
^ "LagoMaggiore.Net - Hotel Alberghi Campeggi sul Lago Maggiore". www.lagomaggiore.net.
^ "Borromean Rings: Family Crest". Archived from the original on 21 April 2008.
^ "The Borromei Bank Research Project". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
^ Pietro Canetta, La famiglia Borromeo, Tamburini, Milano 1937.
^ AA. VV., Le Isole Borromee e la Rocca di Angera, pp. 152-157, Silvana, Milano 2011.
^ Florida International University, Biographical Dictionary section, Pope Innocent X (1644-1655), Consistory of February 19, 1652 (VI)
^ Florida International University, Biographical Dictionary section, Pope Clement XI (1700-1721), Consistory of March 15, 1717 (XII)
^ Count of Arona^{[permanent dead link]}, decree of the Duke of Milan dated 26 May 1446

References

www.borromeo.it: A Borromeo Family website. (in Italian)
Rocca di Angera