Francesco Sfondrati

Francesco Sfondrati (26 October 149331 July 1550) was a professor of law at a series of Italian universities, and held important positions as a counselor of Emperor Charles V. He married Anna Visconti, with whom he had a number of children, one of which eventually became Pope Gregory XIV.

After making provision for his children, he accepted Pope Paul III's invitation to enter the service of the Holy See. He held a number of curial appointments. He was made cardinal and in 1549 named bishop of Cremona.

Biography Francesco Sfondrati was born in Cremona on 26 October 1493, the son of Cremonan Patricians Giovanni Battista Sfondrati (c. 1461 - 1497), Senator of Milan, and wife Margherita Homodeo or Omodeo. After graduating in law from Pavia, Giovanni Battista had entered the service of the Sforzas.

Imperial counselor Sfondrati studied Ancient Greek and Latin as a young man and then received a doctorate of law from the University of Pavia, where he studied civil law under Giasone del Maino and canon law under Filippo Decio. In 1518, he became a professor of public law at the University of Padua. He would later work as a professor at the University of Pavia, the University of Bologna, the Sapienza University of Rome, and the University of Turin. He was a counselor of Charles III, Duke of Savoy and a member of the senate of Turin. In 1527 and 1528, he was Podestà of Pavia. He was later a counselor of Francesco II Sforza, joining the Senate of Milan in 1530. Sfondrati became a patron of Gerolamo Cardano after the physician cured one of his sons.

In 1533, Sfondrati acquired the fiefdom of Bellagio, formerly belonging to the Marquis of Stanga. The ruins of the sumptuous Stanga building were rebuilt by Francesco. For more than 200 years the Sfondrati family ruled Bellagio.

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor then named Sfondrati to the Aulic Council. He was also Charles V's ambassador to the Duke of Savoy. On 23 October 1537 the emperor made him Graf of Riviera di Lecco and Freiherr of Valsassina. He also served as Governor of Siena.

Francesco Sfondrati died suddenly in Cremona on 31 July 1550. Antonio Campi mentioned a rumor of poisoning. Sfondrati was buried in Cremona Cathedral.