FERRERO (Ferrerius), BONIFACIO. — Cardinal, of the great family of the F. of Biella, from the branch of the marquises of Romagnano, born in 1476, died in Rome in January 1543. He held various abbeys, including that of S. Benigno di Fruttuaria, where he secured the right to mint coins. He was twice bishop of Ivrea, a see which he relinquished in favor of that of Vercelli (1509 and 1536), for the benefit of his brothers Giovanni Stefano and Agostino. Created cardinal on 1 July 1517, he subsequently held other bishoprics and the legation of Bologna (1541).
Various members of this family governed the dioceses of Ivrea and Vercelli for more than a century: GIOVANNI STEFANO (born in 1473, died on 3 October 1520), Bonifacio’s brother, was bishop of Vercelli in 1499 and of Bologna in 1502, the year in which he was made a cardinal. He then transferred to the see of Ivrea in 1509. FILIBERTO, nephew of the preceding men (born in 1500, died in Rome on 13 August 1549), received the see of Ivrea at only eighteen years of age. He was twice nuncio to the king of France (1537 and 1540), and legate in Piacenza and Avignon. Cardinal in 1549. His brother PIERRANCESCO (born in 1500, died in 1566) governed the diocese of Vercelli from 1536 to 1561, the year in which he was created cardinal, after having served with Carlo Carafa as legate in Flanders, and then as nuncio in Venice (1560–1561). He took part in the Council of Trent. He relinquished the see of Vercelli in favor of his nephew GIUDO (born in 1537, died in 1585), son of Maddalena Borromco, aunt of Carlo. He was nuncio in Venice and legate in Romagna. Cardinal in 1565. He left us an unpublished biography of Gregory XIII (cf. Pastor, IX, pp. 892–94). His vicar in Vercelli was his nephew CESARI CAMILLO (born on 13 May 1537, died on 21 February 1610). He was bishop of Ivrea from 1581, where he celebrated various synods whose acts were published. The last member of this family was GIOVANNI STEFANO II (born in 1568, died in 1611), nuncio in Prague from 1604 to 1607, who was bishop of Vercelli from 1599 to 1610.