House of Visconti
Federico Visconti was born in Milan on 4 December 1617, to count Carlo of the House of Visconti, last of six brothers. He studied in the College of Brera in Milan and later he was admitted at the Collegio Borromeo in Pavia and graduated in law at the University of Bologna. Advised by his uncle Francesco Borromeo, bishop of Cremona, he entered in the clerical state and moved to Rome. However he soon returned to Milan, where he served as diocesan priest. In 1644 he became a lawyer, from 1646 to 1662 he was "primicerio" (third position of the chapter of the Cathedral of Milan), from 1651 to 1652 prefect of Biblioteca Ambrosiana.