RELIC OF SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO

Rare silver reliquary with a glass front containing the relic of Saint Charles Borromeo. The relic is fixed in the center of a richly decorated decoration. decorated with gold-edged paperolles, silver threads and it is identified in Latin on a handwritten label as: S. Caroli: Bo. (Saint Charles Borromeo). A red fabric background provides contrast and highlights the relic; this color, omnipresent in the Christian liturgy, symbolizes the blood of Christ and his redemptive sacrifice.

The red wax seal affixed by the Church not only guarantees the authenticity of the relic, but also that the reliquary has not been opened and that the relic has not been handled since it was closed. It thus ensures its intact preservation, providing complete certainty as to its provenance and integrity.

PERIOD : 18th century
DIMENSIONS : 2.8 cm X 2.4 cm
SIZE : 1.1" X 0.9"

Saint Charles Borromeo (1538–1584) was a cardinal and archbishop of Milan, a major figure in the Catholic Counter-Reformation . Born into a noble family, he played a key role in implementing the decisions of the Council of Trent , aimed at reforming the Church in the face of rising Protestantism. He worked for stricter ecclesiastical discipline, founded seminaries to train priests, and encouraged a more rigorous spiritual life. During the plague of Milan in 1576 , he devoted himself to the sick, distributing food and care despite the risks. Known for his great humility and asceticism, he inspired many reformers. Canonized in 1610 , he is the patron saint of seminarians and his legacy lives on in the Church.