According to the chronicles, Francesco Borromini was born on September 25, 1599, in the town of Bissone, which at that time was part of Milan and, therefore, of the Kingdom of Spain, although today it belongs to the Swiss canton of Ticino (which is why the Swiss today consider this famous architect to be one of their compatriots).

His name was Francesco Castelli; later, motivated by his first major work as an independent architect, undoubtedly the most influential and personal of all, San Carlo (Borromeo) alle Quattro Fontane, he became Francesco Borromini.

There were several circumstances that honed Francesco Borromini's innate architectural genius: for example, he was the son of a stonemason and as a young man worked in the masonry of Milan Cathedral; thus at St. Charles he not only designed but also built.

According to the Trinitarian father St. John of Bonaventure, a patron and personal friend of our artist, “Borromini could teach work to masons, plasterers, carpenters, stonemasons and blacksmiths.”

Added to this manual dexterity is a deep knowledge of Galileo's mathematical and optical theories, learning from his master Carlo Maderno, and his reference as an artist, Michelangelo.

There is an anecdote that illustrates Borromini's skill and innovativeness: once the construction of the church of San Carlino was finished, the masons refused to dismantle the interior scaffolding that supported the dome, for fear that the new construction would give way and collapse on them.

Confident in his work and to convey confidence to the fearful workers, he stood in the center of the temple while the scaffolding was being dismantled, thus crediting his work with his own life.

Another circumstance that stimulated Borromini's ingenuity and enhanced his genius was his rivalry with Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Italian Baroque architecture cannot be understood without the rivalry between these two greatest exponents.

They had started working together, but ended in open personal enmity and inordinate professional competition, which led them to want to outdo each other. Two different temperaments, two ways of understanding life, two ways of understanding art -- and two sublime artistic productions.

In reaction to Borromini's construction of the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane for the Trinitarians, Bernini erected next to it San Andrea del Quirinale for the Jesuits, a church, somewhat similar in size and non-rectilinear plan, while contrasting the elegant lines of San Carlo with the sumptuous ornamentation of San Andrea.

Another illustrative example of their rivalry is the “dialogue” of images in Piazza Navona: between the image of St. Agnes in the church dedicated to her by Borromini, and the images of Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers.

Borromini dedicated his life to San Carlino, but never saw it finished.

He lived tormentedly for many years, both personally, because of his melancholy and somewhat taciturn character, and professionally, mainly because of his rivalry with Bernini.

Both circumstances led Borromini to attempt suicide on the night of August 2, 1667, which went on for many hours and was finally accomplished on August 4. His nephew Bernardo continued the work until 1671.

Borromini cultivated an architectural style all his own, characterized first and foremost by the audacity to circumvent the constraint, rigor and static nature of the Renaissance to generate a dynamism more in keeping with nature through a heady succession of concave and convex forms.

Nothing in Borromini's work is random, as the architectural work is structured by a continuous succession and interweaving of elementary geometric figures.

The whole is illuminated and enhanced by diffuse and profuse zenithal light, evoking the splendor and radiance of heavenly glory.