For many, Carlo Borromeo is the quintessential post-Tridentine cardinal-bishop, a true role model for dignitaries of the reformed Catholic Church in Europe and beyond. During the turbulent decades following the Council of Trent, he stood out for his exemplary devotion, austerity, and commitment to reform, first at the papal court and then in his archdiocese of Milan. Soon after his death in 1584, miracles started to be reported at his tomb, and in November 1610 he was the first of his generation to make it to sainthood. But as the research of Simon Ditchfield and Ruth Noyes has shown, his canonization process was far from untroubled. Church authorities in Rome and Milan visibly struggled to find a response to the rapidlygrowing cults of Carlo and other beati moderni. As long as these men and women had not been officially canonized, their cults bordered dangerously on idolatry.

Against the background of this complicated canonization process, this chapter looks into the production, circulation, and veneration of portraits of Carlo Borromeo. Whereas surprisingly few portraits were produced during Carlo's lifetime, a veritable portrait industry would emerge after his death in 1584. What did these painted, printed, and sculpted portraits look like? What was their role in the emerging cult of this beato moderno? Special attention will be given to the devotional medals of Carlo Borromeo. How did church authorities and those promoting his cause for sainthood manage the demand for these highly coveted items, both before and after Carlo's canonization in November 1610?

Cardinal and Archbishop: Between Rome and Milan

Born into an aristocratic family, Carlo Borromeo was predestined for an ecclesiastical career from early on, receiving the tonsure at the age of 7. In 1559, his maternal uncle, Giovanni Angelo Medici, was elected to the papacy, assuming the name of Pius IV. Just 22 years old, Carlo was called to Rome as the new pope's cardinal-nephew.