Cardinal of the Parmense Church district (1850-1921).

Born in Lalatta, a hamlet of Pratopiano which can be found in the area of Palanzano, belonging to a humble family of farmers, he entered the seminary as a youngster (where he became teacher and then rector) taking a doctorate in theology. He was ordained as a priest in 1873 and proceeded rapidly with an ecclesiastical career; in 1890 he was nominated the bishop of Guastalla and two years later he went on to run the diocese of Como.

In 1894 he was made cardinal and a few days later the Archbishop of Milan, a place which he held until his death with humbleness, love and great wisdom. During his episcopate 102 churches were built and the work of embellishment and enrichment of the cathedral was iniziated.

He founded the “Associazione femminile di azione cattolica” and together with Giuseppe Toniolo he started up the “Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore”. The death of Andrea Ferrari, a man of immense ecclesiastical and literary culture, left behind a strong eco of regret. The Church intends to make him a saint.