CATHEDRAL OF ST. EUSEBIUS – vercelli

St. Eusebius of Vercelli was the first bishop of the newly formed archdiocese of Vercelli in the 4th century, the patron saint of Vercelli, as well as the first bishop and patron saint of the whole of Piedmont. The Cathedral was erected as a cemetery basilica outside the city walls probably by Eusebius himself, and rebuilt a first time from the 5th century onwards: only the medieval bell tower remains of this first phase. A second reconstruction phase was undertaken in 1570. Admire the 18th-century Baroque façade surmounted by the large dome built in the 19th century, and the medieval bell tower.

The structure presents a Latin cross with three aisles. The magnificent silver-foil crucifix is suspended in the centre of the main aisle. Its restoration, carried out following an act of vandalism, has allowed it to be definitively dated around the episcopate of Leo (999-1026).

The Vercelli Cathedral is an important piece of the city’s history, from the famous silver crucifix, dating back to the 10th century and an inseparable symbol of Vercelli, to the Bell Tower that dominates present day Angennes Square, the last remnant of the old Basilica; from the Dome, which is also visible from the rice fields, to the mosaic floor skilfully designed by architect Edoardo Arborio Mella from Vercelli. The Archbishop’s Palace next door has become home to one of Vercelli’s most important museums, the Cathedral Treasure Museum, which houses one of the richest and oldest collections of sacred art objects, among the most important in Europe. This extraordinary heritage is preserved in the Museum, the Chapter Library and Archive, and the Archbishop’s Picture Gallery.