Editing Francesco Borromini (section)

== Death and epitaph ==
In the summer of 1667, following the completion of the Falconieri chapel (the High Altar chapel) in [[San Giovanni dei Fiorentini]], Borromini committed suicide in Rome by drawing his sword, resting the hilt against his bed, and falling on it "with such force that it ran into [his] body, from one side to the other".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://web.comhem.se/~u13117202/suicide.htm| title = Borromini's suicide| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180507035458/http://web.comhem.se/~u13117202/suicide.htm| archive-date = 2018-05-07}}</ref> Depression may have been the cause. 

The architect named cardinal [[Ulderico Carpegna]] executor of his will and bequeathed him money and objects of considerable value "for", as he wrote, "the infinite debt I have toward him".<ref>Salvagni, Isabella. ''Palazzo Carpegna, 1577-1934''. Rome: Edizioni De Luca, 2000, 230 pp., 117 ill., 70 in color</ref> The prelate was a former patron who had commissioned Borromini important works of transformation and expansion of his palace at [[Fontana di Trevi]]. In his testament, Borromini wrote that he did not want any name on his burial and expressed the desire to be buried in the tomb of his kinsman Carlo Maderno in San Giovanni dei Fiorentini.

[[File:San giovanni dei fiorentini, roma, interno, lapide della sepoltura di francesco borromini.jpg|thumb|The plaque commissioned by the Swiss embassy in Rome to commemorate Francesco Borromini in the basilica of [[San Giovanni dei Fiorentini]]]]
In 1955, his name was added to the marble plaque below the tomb of Maderno. A commemorative plaque commissioned by the Swiss embassy in Rome also was placed on a pillar of the church. This Latin inscription on the plaque reads:

{{blockquote|text=
FRANCISCVS BORROMINI TICINENSIS<br />
EQVES CHRISTI<br />
QVI<br />
IMPERITVRAE MEMORIAE ARCHITECTVS<br />
DIVINAM ARTIS SVAE VIM<br />
AD ROMAM MAGNIFICIS AEDIFICIIS EXORNANDAM VERTIT<br />
IN QVIBUS<br />
ORATORIVM PHILIPPINVM S. IVO S. AGNES IN AGONE<br />
INSTAVRATA LATERANENSIS ARCHIBASILICA<br />
S. ANDREAS DELLE FRATTE NVNCVPATUM<br />
S. CAROLVS IN QVIRINALI<br />
AEDES DE PROPAGANDA FIDE<br />
HOC AVTEM IPSVM TEMPLVM<br />
ARA MAXIMA DECORAVIT<br />
NON LONGE AB HOC LAPIDE<br />
PROPE MORTALES CAROLI MADERNI EXUVVIAS<br />
PROPINQVI MVNICIPIS ET AEMVLI SVI<br />
IN PACE DOMINI QVIESCIT<br />
(see the English translation)<ref>Francesco Borromini from the Ticino<br />
Knight of Christ<br />
who<br />
is an architect with an eternal reputation<br />
divine in the strength of his art<br />
who applied himself to the adornment of the magnificent buildings of Rome<br />
among which are<br />
the Oratory of the Filippini, S. Ivo, S. Agnese in Agone<br />
reworking the Lateran archbasilica<br />
S. Andrea delle Fratte<br />
S. Carlo on the Quirinal Hill<br />
the temple building of the Propaganda Fide<br />
and also in this temple (S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini)<br />
he decorated the High Altar<br />
not far from this grave stone<br />
near to the mortal remains of Carlo Maderno he was found<br />
near to the city and his relative (Carlo Maderno)<br />
in peace he rests with the Lord.</ref>}}

The adjective "Ticinensis" used after his name on the 1955 plaque is an anachronism, since that name is related to the [[Ticino (river)|Ticino river]] and that geographical name only came into use when the modern Canton of that name was created by Napoleon in 1803.<ref name=db/>