Saint Charles Borromeo

Saint Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), known to the general public for his work of saving in the Archdiocese of Milan at the end of the XVI century, was among the most significant characters that marked the history of Corbetta and conditioned it with their works more than any other fame and wealth.

During the episcopate of Charles Borromeo in Milan, in 1555, took place in Corbetta the miraculous event that established the birth of the local sanctuary and then the cardinal interest of the village was essential for the growth of his works in our city. The holy archbishop was in Corbetta three times on a pastoral visit: in 1570 for his first pastoral visit after his appointment as archbishop, in 1576 when he visited Corbetta's Lazzaretto during the plague and in 1578, while on his way on foot to Turin to attend the solemn exposition of the Shroud, and he stopped as usual at the Palazzo Frisiani. The Frisiani family care to host the saint in the room now housed at our museum.

Fu lo stesso Carlo Borromeo a porre sotto la tutela della curia milanese il Santuario di Corbetta e pertanto, dopo la sua canonizzazione nel 1610, gli venne costruita una cappella all'interno del santuario inferiore (oggi dedicata a San Giuseppe, di cui però rimane una vetrata raffigurante un busto di San Carlo Borromeo). A Corbetta san Carlo lasciò moltissime tracce del suo passaggio anche negli scritti, autografando il chronicon ed alcuni documenti d'epoca, oltre a donare una propria berretta cardinalizia.