House of Borromeo
 House of Borromeo Italian: Casa Borromeo |
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| Noble family | |
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| Country |
.svg){kind=small} Duchy of Milan Golden Ambrosian Republic Duchy of Milan Transpadane Republic Cisalpine Republic.svg){kind=small} Italian Republic Kingdom of Italy Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia.svg){kind=small} Kingdom of Italy Italy
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| Estates |
Rocca d'Angera Palazzo Borromeo, Milan Castel of Peschiera Borromeo Borromean Islands Villa Borromeo, Arcore |
| Titles | |
| Style(s) | Don or Donna |
| Founded | 1445 |
| Founder | Vitaliano I |
| Current head | Vitaliano XI |
| Deposition | 1797 |
| Ethnicity | Italian |
| Cadet branches | Borromeo Arese |
The Borromeo family were merchants at San Miniato around 1300 and became bankers at Milan after 1370. Vitaliano de’ Vitaliani, who acquired the name of Borromeo from his uncle Giovanni, became count of Arona in 1445. His descendants played important roles in the politics of the Duchy of Milan and as cardinals in the Catholic Reformation. In 1916 the head of the family was granted the title Prince of Angera.
The best-known members of the family were the cardinals and Archbishops of Milan; Carlo (1538–1584), who was canonized by Pope Paul V in 1610, and Federico (1564–1631), who founded 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.
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 from Rome.
The first member of the family to come to prominence was Filippo who, backed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and Gian Galeazzo Visconti (later to become Duke of Milan), led the 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 at Milan, with other family members running banks in Venice and Florence.
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