Vercelli Cathedral
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2023) |
| Cathedral of Saint Eusebius Cattedrale di Sant'Eusebio | |
|---|---|
Roman Catholic | |
| Province | Archdiocese of Vercelli |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Location | |
| Location | Vercelli, Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 45°19′48.68″N 8°25′20.89″E / 45.3301889°N 8.4224694°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 16th century |
Vercelli Cathedral (
History
The present cathedral was built on the site of earlier ones. The construction of the first, in the 4th century, is ascribed to Saint Eusebius himself, who, it is believed, built it over an ancient
In the second half of the 16th century, Pellegrino Tibaldi of Valsolda was commissioned by the then bishop, Guido Ferrero, to rebuild the cathedral entirely to replace the medieval building, which the bishop had demolished. Tibaldi was able to erect the choir, the side chapels and the two sacristies before lack of funds brought the work to a halt after eight years. In 1682 a chapel to the south was built for the tomb of Blessed Amadeus IX. Between 1702 and 1717 Stefano Negro built the nave, aisles and transept. The remaining parts of the structure, including the west front, were completed in 1757–63 by Benedetto Alfieri and Luigi Barberis, who towards the end of the 18th century also added a chapel off the northern aisle for the relics of Saint Eusebius, which had been discovered during the reconstruction works of the 16th century. This was rebuilt in the late 19th century by Giuseppe Locarni, and the urn containing the remains is now located beneath the high altar. Giovanni Larghi added a dome in 1857-60.
In a chapel off the southern nave are buried not only Blessed Amadeus IX, for whose tomb it was built, but also other members of the ruling house of Savoy, including Charles I, Charles III, Yolande of Valois (wife of Blessed Amadeus) and Victor Amadeus I.
Treasury and library
The cathedral possesses both an important treasury, now a museum, and an important library, housing the Vercelli Book and the Codex Vercellensis.
References
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Vercelli. The relics of Theonestus are still preserved in the present cathedral.
Sources and external links
- Website of the Commune of Vercelli: the Ecclesiastic Metropolis
- Cathedral treasury (in Italian)
- SOS Vercelli: Cathedral closed for building works from February 2011 (in Italian)
- Photographs
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
