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437 - Saint Carlo BORROMEO (1538–1584).
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Estimate €3,000 - €3,500
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Description
Saint Carlo BORROMEO (1538–1584). Autograph letter with the handwritten salutation ‘Come fratello Il Carle Borromeo’, Rome, 16 February 1564, to Bishops Alessandro Crivelli and Carlo Visconti, nuncios in Spain; 2 folio-sized pages, address bearing the remains of a red wax seal (letter slightly damaged at one edge, affecting a few letters at the end of three lines on the first page); in Italian. An interesting diplomatic letter written in his capacity as secretary to his uncle, Pope Pius IV, concerning the Council of Trent and the situation in France, a few months before his appointment as Archbishop of Milan. He urges the nuncios to carry out their mission with prudence and diligence. He expresses his satisfaction with their letters and their discussions with the ministers regarding the Council’s decisions: ‘The reports they have given us of the discussions held with some of those ministers have all been welcome; and it seems to His Holiness that, as regards the affairs of the Council [the Council of Trent], you have treated them with great respect’. There would certainly be more to say: for if anything is lacking in the perfection of the said Council, it is the signature of the Count of Luna [Philip II’s representative at the Council], a point on which His Holiness is confident that His Majesty [Philip II] will see to it himself, as befits his character and his Christian piety. For their part, the nuncios will not fail to bring this to his attention in due course, given that His Holiness has already fulfilled his own role by confirming all the acts of the Council without exception, as they will soon see from the printed bull accompanying the volume of the Council’s acts: ‘Though one might say more; for if anything is lacking in the perfection of the said Council, it is the signature of the Count of Luna, which His Holiness nevertheless trusts that His Majesty [Philip II] will supply, as befits his character, and his Christian piety; and you, acting in good faith, must not fail to tell him so, since His Highness has already brought to perfection that which pertains to him by confirming all the acts of the Council without any exception, as you will soon see from the Bull which will be sent to you in print together with the volume of the Council’s acts.” As for the affairs of the Kingdom of France, if the situation is as grave as it has been described to them, His Catholic Majesty ought to have taken all the greater care not to give any cause for grievance, whether regarding precedence, the meeting itself or any other matter, so that they might never be able to claim that they had been provided with a pretext for acting wrongly: ‘Regarding the affairs of the Kingdom of France, if the trouble is as great as it has been described to them, His Catholic Majesty ought to have taken even greater care not to give them cause for complaint, whether concerning precedence, the meeting itself or anything else, so that they might never be able to say, that we have given them cause to act wrongly’. We eagerly await news concerning the latest order received by Madame’s secretary regarding Orange, as well as a favourable outcome to the matter of the Three Castles: ‘We eagerly await news of the latest order that Madame’s secretary will have received regarding Orange; although I do not know whether His Highness will wait so long before taking action against him. And likewise, some favourable resolution regarding the matter of the Three Castles’. For the past five days, His Holiness has been suffering somewhat from gout, though this in no way prevents him from attending to his usual duties without interruption, and the attack is now subsiding. For the rest, His Holiness is in excellent health, and they are all doing splendidly: ‘His Holiness has been suffering a little from gout for the past five days, which is no great matter, as it does not prevent him from attending to his business, to which he devotes himself as usual without interruption; and the gout is, moreover, already on the wane; and in all other respects His Holiness, praise be to God, is doing very well, and the rest of us are all doing very well indeed’…
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About the sale Letters and Autograph Manuscripts – Part II
Auction location
Auction time 10/14/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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