Founded in 2008 by Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, the Ambrosian Academy carries forward the scholarly legacy of the Academies of St Charles and St Ambrose, while extending its scope to new fields within the humanities. Within this framework operates the Borromean Studies Class, bringing together Italian and international scholars devoted to the cultural period of the cardinalates of Charles and Federico Borromeo.

Remaining faithful to its original mission, the series publishes essays and documents on the religious and civil history of the early modern period, while fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. One of the Class’s main objectives is the publication of the vast correspondence of St Charles Borromeo, an exceptional documentary heritage largely preserved at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana and still only partially explored.