The Archdiocese of Vercelli () is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy, one of the two archdioceses which, together with their suffragan dioceses, form the ecclesiastical region of Piedmont.
The archbishop's seat is in Basilica Cattedrale di S. Eusebio, a minor basilica dedicated to its canonized first bishop, in Vercelli, Piemonte (Piedmont). The city also has two Minor basilicas: Basilica di S. Andrea and Basilica di S. Maria Maggiore
Ecclesiastical province The suffragan dioceses forming part of the ecclesiastical province of Vercelli are: Diocese of Alessandria Diocese of Biella Diocese of Casale Monferrato Diocese of Novara.
History According to an ancient lectionary, Christianity was first preached in Vercelli in the second half of the third century by Saints Sabinianus (Savinian) and Martialis, bishops from Gaul, when they were returning to their dioceses.Lanzoni, pp. 10-11: "Lettori italiani, dopo e prima del Einascimento, accettarono fidentemente cotali affermazioni e nella più larga e cervellotica maniera le interpretarono, dicendo che... s. Marziale avrebbe evangelizzato non solo Colle Val d'Elsa, ma altre città della Tuscia, tra le quali S. Miniato, Chiusi e Fiesole, e avrebbe tenuto il seggio episcopale di Spoleto (?) e di Vercelli....; e s. Sabiniano di Sens, di Vercelli." The episcopal see, however, was not established until after the Peace of Constantine.
The first bishop of Vercelli was Eusebius,Savio, "Alcune fonti storiche per la vita di S. Eusebio," in: Savio, pp. 514-554. a native of Sardinia, who had been a "lector" in the Roman church.Kehr VI.2, p. 7: "Primus Yercellensium praesul s. Eusebius fuit, natione Sardus, antea lector Romanae ecclesiae, inter orthodoxos sui temporis episcopos praestantissimus." That he was Sardinian is stated by S. Jerome, De viris illustribus, chapter 96. Ambrose of Milan says that he became familiar to the Christians of Vercelli, who unanimously petitioned that he be made their bishop.Lanzoni, p. 1037: "posthabitis civibus electus et postulatus ab omni ecclesia." He was the recipient of letters from Pope Liberius in 353, 354, and 355;Kehr VI. 2, pp. 8-9, nos. 1-4. and took part in the synod of Milan of 355, where he refused to sign the Arian condemnation of Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria. For his obstinacy, he was exiled by the Emperor Constantius to Palestine. On Constantius' death in 361, he was recalled and visited Alexandria, where he attended a synod with Athanasius in 362. He died in 369 (according to Jerome), in 370, or in 371.Savio, p. 847. Lanzoni, p. 1038-1039.
From the beginning to 1805, the diocese of Vercelli was a suffragan (subordinate) of the metropolitan archbishopric of Milan.
From Eusebius to Nottingo (830) there were forty bishops, whose images were preserved in the Eusebian basilica, predecessor of the present cathedral, so called because Saint Eusebius, who dedicated it to the martyr Saint Theonestus, was interred in it.The images dated from Notting's time or later, though they may have been based on the diocese's diptychs: Lanzoni, p. 1037. Bishop Nottingo introduced the common and monastic life among his clergy.
In 886, Berengar, Margrave of Friuli, in an act of revenge against Bishop Liutvard, sacked the city of Vercelli, and in particular the episcopal palace and the cathedral.Arnaldi, Le carte, p. 207.
In September 1050, Pope Leo IX held a synod in Vercelli, directed against simony, against John Scotus' book on the eucharist, and against the heresies of Berengar of Tours.O. Delarc, Un pape alsacien. Essai historique sur saint Léon IX et son temps, (Paris, 1876), p. 297-320. Carl Joseph von Hefele, Histoire des conciles d'après les documents originaux, Vol. IV, part 2 (Paris: Letouzey 1911), pp. 1056-1060.
In 1149, Bishop Gisulfus Avogadro was granted the title of count.Andrea Gamberini, "Vescovo e conte: la fortuna di un titolo nell' Italia centrosettentrionale (secoli XI-XV)," , in: Quaderni storici Nuova serie, Vol. 46, No. 138 (December 2011), p. 674. Panero, p. 114.
On 18 April 1474, with the bull "Pro Excellenti", Pope Sixtus IV, on the urging of Marquis Guglielmo of Monferrat, established the new Diocese of Casale Monferrato, transferring to it territories removed from the diocese of Vercelli.Cappelletti XIV, pp. 574-577.
The seminary of the diocese of Vercelli was established in 1566, by Cardinal Guido Luca Ferrero (1562–1566), after his return from the Council of Trent. The first residence of the seminary was in a house attached to the church of S. Pietro la Ferla. A new building was opened in 1600, and was greatly extended in 1730, and again from 1842 to 1845.Orsenigo, pp. 56-58.
At Easter, 3 April 1575, the Church of Vercelli adopted the use of the Roman liturgy in place of the local Eusebian liturgy.Orsenigo, p. 16.
Cardinal Guido Luca Ferrero (1562–1572), Bishop of Vercelli, attended the First Provincial Council of Milan on 14 October 1565, under the presidency of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan.Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis Tomus secundus , (Anissoniana et Joan. Posuel, 1683), p. 9. Bishop Giovanni Francesco Bonomigni (1572–1587) attended the Fourth Provincial Synod of Milan in 1576, and signed the decrees.Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, , Volume 1 (Milan: P. Pagnonio, 1843), p. 206. He also attended and subscribed the decrees of the Fifth Provincial Synod of Milan in March 1579.Acta ecclesiae Mediolanensis (Pavia: Typis seminarii J. Manfre, 1754), p. 251. Bishop Giovanni Francesco Bonomigni (1572–1587) was unable to attend the Sixth Provincial Synod of Milan in May 1582, since he was serving as papal nuncio to the Emperor Rudolph in Vienna; he sent his Vicar General, Paulus Granutius, as his procurator.Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis a S. Carolo Card: Archiep. Condita Volume 1 Pagnonius, 1843), p. 328. Bishop Giovanni Stefano Ferrero (1599–1610) was present at the Seventh Provincial Synod of Milan in May 1609 and subscribed the decrees.Acta ecclesiae Mediolanensis (Pavia: Typis seminarii J. Manfre, 1754), p. 358.
Chapter and cathedral Local tradition has it that the site of the later cathedral of S. Eusebio was the location of a temple of Vesta. Eusebius himself built a church dedicated to S. Theoneste on the site, which was destroyed by the barbarians, and rebuilt by Bishop Albinus in the mid-5th century.Orsenigo, p. 43. An alternate version, preserved by Benzo of Alba Pompeia,K. Pertz (ed.), Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Vol. 11 (Hannover: Hahn 1854), p. 680. indicates that the church was founded by the Emperor Theodosius the Great (379–395).Kehr VI. 2, p. 17: "Basilicam s. Eusebii a Theodosio Magno imp. conditam esse tradit Benzo Albensis (cf. Savio, Gli antichi vescovi I 403 sq.). Vercellenses vero scriptores contendunt, eam ab ipso s. Eusebio primo Yercellarum praesule in honorem s. Theonesti exstructam esse." A third report indicates that the Basilica of S. Maria Major was founded by Constantine the Great (306–337), and that it was the original cathedral.Orsenigo, pp. 83-84. Kehr Vi. 2, p. 22: "Basilicam b. Mariae Maioris, a Constantino Magno erectam, ut tradunt Yercellenses, primitivam ecclesiam cathedralem fuisse, canonici ipsius ecclesiae contendebant." Bishop Bonomi remarked in his ad limina report of 1573 (Orsenigo, p. 84): "retro altare (majus) invenitur sedile ligneum, magnum, marmoreum, super quod reverendissimi episcopi vercellenses insident, cum ipsorum episcopatus possessionem adipiscuntur." The canons of the two institutions fought for hundreds of years over the right to elect a new bishop, precedence, privileges, and income.
At some point between 1132 and 1143, Pope Innocent II ordered Bishop Gisulf of Vercelli and Bishop Litifredus of Novara to settle the controversy between the canons of S. Eusebio and the canons of S. Maria Maggiore over the tithe and offerings.Kehr VI. 2, p. 18, no. 2. In 1144, Cardinals Guido of S. Crisogono and Hubaldus of S. Prassede, the papal legates, issued a decision concerning the complaints of the two ChaptersC.D. Fonseca, "La cattedrale e il suo Capitolo. Analisi comparata in prospettiva storica, ecclesiologica e canonistica," , in: Annali di Studi Religiosi Vol. 4 (2003), pp. 215-235. of canons; Pope Eugenius III confirmed their judgment on 17 April 1146, and awarded the canons of S. Maria Maggiore a quarter of the district of Carisiana, with a command that the canons of S. Eusebio keep permanently silent on the matter.Kehr VI. 2, p. 18, no. 4; p. 19, nos. 7-8. In 1175, the two sets of canons reached an agreement on various specific articles concerning the income, expenditure, possessions, rights, and holdings, which were the subject of dispute; the agreement was confirmed by Cardinal Guglielmo of S. Pietro ad vincula.Kehr VI. 2, p. 20, no. 11.
OLn 8 September 1175, Cardinal Guglielmo issued an order regulating the number of canons. In S. Eusebio, there were to be no more than thirty-two canons; in S. Maria Maggiore, eight.Arnaldi, Le carte, No. VIII, p. 223: "Numerus uero canonicorum utriusque ecclesie ultra.XXXIJ.os non extendetur.xxiij.in ecclesia sancti eusebii.et octo in ecclesia sancte marie commorancium. In qua cum quis eorum decesserit in eadem alius subrogabitur. Nec ullum debitum alicui illarum ecclesiarum de nouo, contrahere, absque comuni consensu Capituli licebit." This arrangement was confirmed by a bull of Pope Innocent III, of 1 March 1208. The Chapter was headed by four dignities: the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, the Provost, and the Cantor Major.Orsenigo, pp. 38-39. In his synodal constitutions of 10 November 1288, Bishop Aimo de Challant acknowledged that the colleges of canons of S. Eusebio and of S. Maria Maggiore together constituted the "Capitulum Vercellensem".Olivieri, p. 507 § 3: "unde presenti constitutione sanccimus ut ecclesiarum Sancti Eusebii et Sancte Marie, quarum collegia constituunt nostrum capitulum Vercellensem, prelati et canonici...."
The competition and controversy was finally settled on 12 August 1644, when Bishop Giacomo Goria suppressed the Chapter of S. Maria Maggiore and combined all the canons in one body at S. Eusebio. The action was confirmed by a bull of Pope Innocent X of 26 December 1644.Orsenigo, p. 39.
Synods
A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See.
The earliest known synod of the diocese of Vercelli was held by Bishop Atto (924–958), who issued "Constitutions", which envisioned annual meetings in synod.J.P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Collectio, Tomus CXXXIV (Paris: J.P. Migne 1853), p. 34, chapters 27-28: quod singulis annis, et saltem semel in anno Synodus celebretur; Qualiter maiores presbyteri ad Synodum veniant." Orsenigo, p. 414. Bishop Ingo published a synodical constitution in 974. Bishop Ardericus held a synod in 1027.Orsenigo, p. 414. Bishop Alberto Avogadro presided over a synod in 1191.Savio, p. 486. A. Olivieri, "Note sulla tradizione sinodale dell'episcopio vercellese (fine XII–XIII sec.)," in: Rivista di storia e letteratura religiosa, 38 (2002), pp. 315-318. Bishop Aimone de Challant held a diocesan synod in November 1288.Orsenigo, p. 415. Antonio Olivieri, "Un inedito statuto sinodale del vescovo di Vercelli Aimone di Challant del novembre 1288," , in Bollettino storico-bibliografico subalpino, 101 (2003), pp. 497-514.