Niccolò Sfondrati was born on 11 February 1535 at
Somma Lombardo, then part of the
Duchy of Milan, in the highest stratum of Milanese society. His mother, Anna of the
House of Visconti, died in childbirth. His father
Francesco Sfondrati, a senator of the ancient
comune of
Milan, after the death of his wife in 1538 entered in the ecclesiastic state and was created
cardinal-priest by
Pope Paul III in 1544. As soon as appointed
bishop of Cremona, Niccolò's father died in 1550. Niccolò in his youth was known for his modest lifestyle and stringent piety. He studied law at
Perugia and he graduated in
utroque iure at the
University of Padua on 2 March 1555. He replaced his father as
Commendatory abbot of the
Abbey of Civate: differently from the uses of most commendatory abbots at that time, Niccolò with religious fervour took care of the buildings and reformed the religious life of the abbey. He participated in the sessions of the
Council of Trent from 1561 to 1563 where he took a position in favour of the divine origin of the residence of bishops in their diocese, a position not well seen by Rome. Returned in his diocese, he applied the reforms of the
Council of Trent under the supervision of his
Metropolitan Archbishop, Cardinal Charles Borromeo, to whom he was related. Sfondrati was an intimate friend and a great admirer of
Philip Neri, an Italian priest who died in 1595 and was canonised in 1622.
Papal election After the death of
Pope Urban VII on 27 September 1590, the Spanish ambassador
Olivares presented the
conclave a list of the seven cardinals who would be acceptable to his master
Philip II of Spain. On 5 December 1590, after two months of deadlock, Sfondrati, who was on Philip II's list but had not aspired to the office, was elected pope. Cardinal
Alessandro Peretti di Montalto came to Sfondrati's cell to inform him that the
Sacred College had agreed on his election and found him kneeling in prayer before a crucifix. On the day after he was elected Pope, Gregory XIV burst into tears and said to the cardinals: "God forgive you! What have you done?" In his
bull of 21 March 1591,
Cogit nos, he forbade under pain of
excommunication all betting concerning the election of a Pope, the duration of a pontificate, or the creation of new cardinals. == Papacy ==