ROMAN, 17TH CENTURY

The present silver bust of St. Carlo Borromeo (1538-1584) is a version of a silvered bronze bust of the saint attributed to Alessandro Algardi by J.T. Spike. Despite the stylistic similarities, however, this attribution has not gained widespread acceptance. Carlo Borromeo was a nephew of Pope Pius IV and was appointed archbishop of Milan in 1564. He was revered throughout Italy for his work with the poor and infirm and especially for his courageous service during the plague of 1576. He was beatified in 1601 and canonized in 1610 (loc. cit).