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 under the Metropolitan of Vercelli are: Roman Catholic Diocese of Alessandria (della Paglia) Roman Catholic Diocese of Biella Roman Catholic Diocese of Casale Monferrato Roman Catholic 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. The episcopal see, however, was not established until after the Peace of Constantine.
The first bishop of Vercelli was Eusebius, a native of Sardinia, who had been a "lector" in the Roman church. Ambrose of Milan says that he became familiar to the Christians of Vercelli, who unanimously petitioned that he be made their bishop. He was the recipient of letters from Pope Liberius in 353, 354, and 355; 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.
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. 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.
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.
In 1149, Bishop Gisulfus Avogadro was granted the title of count.
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.
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.
At Easter, 3 April 1575, the Church of Vercelli adopted the use of the Roman liturgy in place of the local Eusebian liturgy.
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. Bishop Giovanni Francesco Bonomigni (1572–1587) attended the Fourth Provincial Synod of Milan in 1576, and signed the decrees. He also attended and subscribed the decrees of the Fifth Provincial Synod of Milan in March 1579. 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. Bishop Giovanni Stefano Ferrero (1599–1610) was present at the Seventh Provincial Synod of Milan in May 1609 and subscribed the decrees.