Agostino Borromeo

Italian historian (1944–2024)

His Excellency Count

Agostino Borromeo

Born| (1944-01-24)24 January 1944

Oreno, Milan, Italy

Died| 4 February 2024(2024-02-04) (aged 80)

Rome, Italy

Nationality| Italian
Alma mater| Sapienza University of Rome
Occupation| Lieutenant General of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher
Title| Professor of history
Spouse| Beatriz González de la Bastida Vergas
Children| 3

Agostino Borromeo (24 January 1944 – 4 February 2024) was an Italian historian and academic who was Lieutenant General of Honor of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

## Early life and background

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Count don Agostino Borromeo came forth from the aristocratic House of Borromeo family. He studied political science at the Sapienza University of Rome. He also completed his musical studies in piano, organ, and organ composition.[1]

Borromeo married Beatriz González de la Bastida Vergas, and they had three children.[2] He liked playing tennis, skiing, and photography.[1]

## Career

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Agostino Borromeo was an author of over 180 publications on the religious history of Southern Europe, musicology, and music criticism.

Borromeo was an internationally acclaimed expert on the history of the Inquisition.[3][4][5] In October 1998, following the opening of the archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he coordinated the organization of an international symposium on the history of the Inquisition held at the Vatican.[6] He was a Catholic commentator for the PBS television series Secret Files of the Inquisition.[7][8]

Borromeo was also well known in the history of international relations in modern times and religious history of Spain.[9][10]

Borromeo taught Modern and Contemporary History of the Catholic Church and other Christian confessions at his alma mater, Sapienza University of Rome, and gave annual courses on the History of Christianity and of the Churches at the prestigious private university Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta, Rome.[11]

From 1992, he was president of the Italian Institute of Iberian Studies.[1]

From 2006, he was President of the "Don Giuseppe de Luca" Association, an institution for the research in the field of religious history.[12]

## Roman Catholic Church

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Borromeo was an active Roman Catholic for many years. As a young man, he participated in the Catholic scout movement. In 1993 he was elected president of an international Catholic association Circolo di Roma, founded in 1949, which gathers foreign diplomats accredited to the Holy See.[13] In 2002 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences.[14][15] He was vice-president of the Italian National Union for the Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines (Unitalsi).[16][17]

Borromeo was a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre from 1985 until his death. From 1995 to 2002 he served as a Member of the Grand Magisterium. From 2002 to 2004 he was the Orders' chancellor.[18] In 2009 Cardinal John Patrick Foley, Grand Master of the Order, appointed him General Governor.[18] He served in this position until 29 June 2016. On 28 July 2017, he was appointed by Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, the Grand Master, as Lieutenant General of Honor.[19]

## Death

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Borromeo died on 4 February 2024.[2] His funeral was presided over by the Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, and concelebrated by Cardinal Edwin O’Brien at Santi Apostoli, Rome on 6 February 2024. Also in attendance were Fra John Dunlap, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, Governor-General of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.[20]

## Selected works

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Borromeo was the editor and author of hundreds of publications.

* Spain in Italy: Politics, Society, and Religion 1500–1700. Edited by Thomas James Dandelet, John A. Marino, American Academy in Rome, 2006. ISBN 9004154299, ISBN 978-9004154292
* L' inquisizione : atti del simposio internazionale: Città del Vaticano, 29-31 ottobre 1998. By Agostino Borromeo. Città del Vaticano : Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 2003. ISBN 8821007618 9788821007613
* Storia religiosa della Spagna. Agostino Borromeo. Milano, Centro Ambrosiano, 1998. ISBN 8880251791 9788880251798
* La Valtellina crocevia dell'Europa : politica e religione nell'età della Guerra dei trent'anni. By Agostino Borromeo; Quintín Aldea. Milano: Mondadori, 1998. OCLC Number: 954608350

## Distinctions

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* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (2017)
* Knight with Collar of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (1985)[21]
* Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George[22]
* Order of Saint Januarius (2002)
* Member of the Italian Musicology Association (Società Italiana di Musicologia) (2000)[23]
* Academic Correspondent of the Real Academia de la Historia (1988)[24]
* Academic Correspondent of the Academia Portuguesa da História (Portuguese Academy of History, Lisbon) (1992)

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Message from the new Governor General, Agostino Borromeo" (PDF). Newsletter of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. XIV: 4–5. March 2009.
2. ^ a b McGettrick, Bart. "RIP: Professor Count Agostino Borromeo". Bethlehem University. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
3. ^ Arie, Sophie (15 June 2004). "Historians say Inquisition wasn't that bad". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
4. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (31 October 1998). "Vatican Is Investigating the Inquisition, in Secret". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
5. ^ "BBC NEWS | Europe | Vatican 'dispels Inquisition myths'". news.bbc.co.uk. 15 June 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
6. ^ "Balanced History of the Inquisition Is Possible, Says Expert – ZENIT – English". zenit.org. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
7. ^ "Facing the Inquisition: A pope seeks pardon". America Magazine. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
8. ^ Feore, Colm; Lea, Ron; Rice, Nick; Bhaneja, Raoul (1 January 2000), Secret Files of the Inquisition, retrieved 18 May 2017
9. ^ Dandelet, Thomas James; Marino, John A.; Rome, American Academy in (2007). Spain in Italy: Politics, Society, and Religion 1500-1700. BRILL. ISBN 978-9004154292.
10. ^ Reger, William (3 March 2016). The Limits of Empire: European Imperial Formations in Early Modern World History: Essays in Honor of Geoffrey Parker. Routledge. ISBN 9781317025337.
11. ^ "Gli scheletri della Santa Inquisizione". Carmilla on line. 22 February 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
12. ^ Pellicanò, Alfredo. "Regione Calabria - Il Presidente Scopelliti ha ricevuto il Governatore Generale dell'Ordine Equestre del Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme". www.regione.calabria.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
13. ^ "The Cardinal Grand Master's conference to the diplomats of the Circolo di Roma" (PDF). Newsletter of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. XXXI: 7. June 2013.
14. ^ "Current members of the committee for Historical Sciences". www.historia.va. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
15. ^ "RINUNCE E NOMINE". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
16. ^ "Giornata del malato, l'Unitalsi si prepara al tradizionale pellegrinaggio a Lourdes". www.news.va. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
17. ^ "4th International Meeting of Hospitaliers - Lourdes 6th, 7th and 8th December 2013 | Lourdes". en.lourdes-france.org. Retrieved 17 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
18. ^ a b "Message from the Cardinal Grand Master" (PDF). Newsletter of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. XIII: 2. January 2009.
19. ^ "New appointments by the Grand Master". www.oessh.va. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
20. ^ ""È bello tramontare al mondo per risorgere nell'aurora dell'amore di Dio"". www.oessh.va (in Italian). Retrieved 6 February 2024.
21. ^ "The Grand Magisterium of the Order - Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
22. ^ "05/01/2009 (Roma) Il Conte Agostino Borromeo ..." www.constantinianorder.org (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
23. ^ "La Cappella musicale nell'Italia della Controriforma". www.sidm.it (in Italian). Retrieved 18 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
24. ^ "Académicos Correspondientes extranjeros - Real Academia de la Historia". Real Academia de la Historia (in European Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2017.

## External links

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Wikiquote has quotations related to Agostino Borromeo.

Catholic Church titles

Preceded by

Pier Luigi Parola

|  General Governor of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
2009–2016  | Succeeded by

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