The Archdiocese of Vercelli (Latin: Archidioecesis Vercellensis) 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[1][2]
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.[3] The episcopal see, however, was not established until after the Peace of Constantine.
The first bishop of Vercelli was Eusebius,[4] a native of Sardinia, who had been a "lector" in the Roman church.[5] Ambrose of Milan says that he became familiar to the Christians of Vercelli, who unanimously petitioned that he be made their bishop.[6] He was the recipient of letters from Pope Liberius in 353, 354, and 355;[7] 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.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10]
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.[11]
In 1149, Bishop Gisulfus Avogadro was granted the title of count.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14]
At Easter, 3 April 1575, the Church of Vercelli adopted the use of the Roman liturgy in place of the local Eusebian liturgy.[15]
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.[16] Bishop Giovanni Francesco Bonomigni (1572–1587) attended the Fourth Provincial Synod of Milan in 1576, and signed the decrees.[17] He also attended and subscribed the decrees of the Fifth Provincial Synod of Milan in March 1579.[18] 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.[19] Bishop Giovanni Stefano Ferrero (1599–1610) was present at the Seventh Provincial Synod of Milan in May 1609 and subscribed the decrees.[20]
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.[21] An alternate version, preserved by Benzo of Alba Pompeia,[22] indicates that the church was founded by the Emperor Theodosius the Great (379–395).[23] 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.[24] 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.[25] In 1144, Cardinals Guido of S. Crisogono and Hubaldus of S. Prassede, the papal legates, issued a decision concerning the complaints of the two Chapters 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.[26] 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.[27]
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.[28] 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.[29] 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".[30]
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.[31]
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.[32]
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.[33] Bishop Ingo published a synodical constitution in 974. Bishop Ardericus held a synod in 1027.[34] Bishop Alberto Avogadro presided over a synod in 1191.[35] Bishop Aimone de Challant held a diocesan synod in November 1288.[36]
Bishop Ibleto Fieschi (1412–1437) held a synod on 27 July 1428, the first in more than fifty years. Bishop Guglielmo Didier (1437–1452) held synods in 1440 and in 1451 or 1452, after which he imposed a tax on the clergy to rebuild the episcopal palace. Bishop Amadeo Nori (1459–1469) presided over a synod in 1461. Cardinal Giovanni Stefano Ferrero (1499–1502) held a synod in 1499.[37]
Bishop Agostino Ferrero (1511 – 1536) presided over a diocesan synod in 1517, and issued constitutions.[38] Bishop Francesco Bonomo held annual synods, beginning in 1573; he held his fourth diocesan synod in 1576, his fifth in 1578, and his sixth in 1579;[39] his eleventh took place in 1584.[40]
In 1600, Bishop Giovanni Stefano Ferrero (1599–1610) presided over a diocesan synod. Another was held in 1619 by Bishop Giacomo Goria. Four synods were held by Bishop Michelangelo Broglia, in 1666, 1670, 1673, and 1677. Bishop Giuseppe Bertodano held a synod in 1700.[41]
On 15–17 July 1749, Bishop Giovanni Pietro Solaro (1743–1768) held a diocesan synod. Bishop Vittorio Costa d'Arignano presided over a diocesan synod. Bishop Alessandro d'Agennes held a synod on 7–9 June 1842. Bishop Carlo Pampirio held a diocesan synod on 22–24 September 1903.[42]
Biella
On 1 June 1772, Pope Clement XIV, at the request of King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, created the new Diocese of Biella, on territories which were removed from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Vercelli.[43] The territories which had been removed were returned to the diocese of Vercelli on 1 June 1803, when the Diocese of Biella was suppressed by Pope Pius VII.[44] The bishop of Biella, Giambattista Canevesi, was named Bishop of Vercelli.[45]
In a decree issued in Paris on 25 January 1805, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara, the papal legate and archbishop of Milan, carried out a new circumscription of the Cisalpine dioceses. The suffragan diocese of Vercelli was detached from the metropolitan archbishopric of Milan, and transferred to the metropolitanate of Turin.[46]
Metropolitan archdiocese
After the defeat, abdication, and exile of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna agreed to the restoration of the Kingdom of Sardinia. King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia invited Pope Pius VII to restore the good order of the Church in his kingdom, which had been disrupted by the French occupation. On 17 July 1817, the pope issued the bull "Beati Petri", which began by establishing de novo the ten dioceses which had been suppressed under the French, and delimiting the extent of each in detail,[47] including Vercelli and the restored Biella.[48] In the same document, the pope also released the diocese of Vercelli from being a suffragan of the metropolitan of Turin,[49] and elevated the diocese to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese. The new metropolitan archdiocese had as suffragans the dioceses of Alessandria, Biella, and Casale.[50]
In a further adjustment of the ecclesiastical structure of Piedmont and Liguria, Pope Pius VII, on 26 September 1817, transferred the diocese of Novara from the metropolitanate of Milan, to the metropolitanate of Vercelli.[51]
On 1 August 1874, the archdiocese of Vercelli lost territory to the Diocese of Casale Monferrato.
^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."
^Savio, "Alcune fonti storiche per la vita di S. Eusebio," in: Savio, pp. 514-554.
^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.
^Lanzoni, p. 1037: "posthabitis civibus electus et postulatus ab omni ecclesia."
^Andrea Gamberini, "Vescovo e conte: la fortuna di un titolo nell' Italia centrosettentrionale (secoli XI-XV)," (in Italian), in: Quaderni storici Nuova serie, Vol. 46, No. 138 (December 2011), p. 674. Panero, p. 114.
^K. Pertz (ed.), Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Vol. 11 (Hannover: Hahn 1854), p. 680.
^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."
^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."
^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."
^Olivieri, p. 507 § 3: "unde presenti constitutione sanccimus ut ecclesiarum Sancti Eusebii et Sancte Marie, quarum collegia constituunt nostrum capitulum Vercellensem, prelati et canonici...."
^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.
^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.
^The suppression is referred to by Pope Pius VII in the bull "Beati Petri" of 17 July 1817. Bullarii Romani Continuatio Tomus XIV (Romae: Typ. Reverendae Camerae Apostolicae 1849), p. 344 § 2: "Quarum quidem literarum vigore ab eodem Joanne Baptista cardinali [Caprara], per sua decreta diebus vigesima tertia januarii, et decima septima julii mensium anni millesimi octingentesimi quinti plenariae executioni demandatarum, sancitum auctoritate Nostra fuit, ut praevia suppressione, extinctione, ac perpetua annullatione episcopalium ecclesiarum Secusinae, Pineroliensis, Fossanensis, Albanensis, Berthonensis, Bobiensis, Bugellensis‚ Augustanae, simulque Casalensis...." Caprara was granted his faculties in a bull of 1 June 1803.
^Orsenigo, pp. 21-22: "L'istesso decreto sottraeva il vescovo di Vercelli dal metropolita di Milano, e lo faceva invece suffraganeo dell'arcivescovo di Torino."
^Bullarii Romani Continuatio XIV, pp. 345–351 § 4-22.
^Bullarii Romani Continuatio XIV, p. 349 § 16 and 18.
^"...praevia illius omnimoda solutione et exemptione a quocumque metropolitico jure, dependentia ac subjectione archiepiscopali ecclesiae Taurinensi, cui ad praesens suffragatur...."
^Bullarii Romani Continuatio XIV, pp. 351–352 § 16 and 18.
^Pius VII (1849). Andreas Barberi and Rinaldo Secreti (ed.). Bullarii Romani continuatio (in Latin). Vol. Tomus decimus quartus. Roma. pp. 387–388.
^Discolius (Duscolius, Coelius): Savio, p. 423. Lanzoni, p. 1039.
^Justinianus subscribed the synodical letter of the bishops who were present at the provincial synod of Milan in 451. He is said to have been bishop for 16 years and a little more than 6 months. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus VI (Florence: A. Zatta 1761), p. 144. Savio, pp. 423-426. Lanzoni: pp. 1039-1040.
^Albinus: Ughelli IV, pp. 761-762. Savio, pp. 426-429.
^Maximianus is known only from a report of the images with names. Savio, p. 429. Lanzoni, p. 1040.
^Bishop Aemilianus attended the Roman synod of 502. He built an aqueduct for the city at his own expense, according to Cassiodorus, "Variae". Savio, pp. 430-432. Lanzoni, pp. 1040-1041.
^Eusebius (II): The claim is made that he governed the diocese of Vercelli for 19 years, ca. 515–534, but without evidence. Savio, p. 433. Lanzoni, p. 1041.
^When the choir of the cathedral was being demolished in 1572, Bishop Constantius' tomb inscription was found; it is lost. Savio, p. 433. Lanzoni, p. 1041 (who doubts the identification of Constantius with Costanzo).
^Bishop Flavianus decorated the apse of the original basilica. His funeral inscription has survived. An alternate date of death is 25 November 556. Savio, pp. 433-435. Lanzoni, p. 1041. Marco Aimone, "Il sarcofago del vescovo Flaviano e le sue iscrizioni. Ricerche epigrafiche su Vercelli tra Antichità e Medioevo," (in Italian), in: Bullettino dell’Istituto Storico Italiano per il Medioevo, 109/1 (Roma 2007), pp. 1-95.
^Saint Vedast of Arras: Savio, p. 435. Lanzoni, pp. 1041-1042.
^Known only from a report of Ferraro of an inscription on the wall of images. Savio, p. 435.
^Bishop Berardus is known only from a report of Ferraro of an inscription on the wall of images. Savio, p. 435. Lanzoni, p. 1042.
^Celsus died on 13 April in a year that corresponded to Indiction VIII, which could be 665, 680 or 695. Savio, pp. 436-437. Lanzoni, p. 1042.
^Bishop Theodorus was present at the Roman synod of Pope Agatho in 680. Savio, p. 437.
^Aemilianus (II) was the recipient of a charter of the Lombard king Aripert II. Savio, pp. 437-438.
^Bishop Ansericus attended the papal synod in Mantua of Pope Eugenius II. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XIV (Venice: A. Zatta 1769), p. 494 (where his name is spelled "Auterius". Savio, pp. 442-443.
^Northaudus restored common life among the canons. He attended the coronation in Rome of Louis, son of Lothair I by Pope Sergius II, on 15 June 844. Cesare Baronio, Annales ecclesiastici: A. D. 1-1571 denuo excusi et ad nostra usque tempora perducti ab Augustino Theiner, Volume 14 (Bar-le-duc: L. Guerin, 1868), pp. 289-290. Ughelli IV, p. 765, no. 36.
^During severe disturbances in the Church of Vercelli, Archbishop Anspertus of Milan consecrated and intruded Joseph into the diocese. Pope John VIII intervened, excommunicated the archbishop, and ordered Joseph to be degraded from episcopal rank. Ughelli IV, p. 765. Kehr VI.2, pp. 9-11, nos. 6-10.
^Cospertus was a papal deacon. He was sent by Pope John VIII to Vercelli to carry the pope's commands and sort out the confusion. In a letter to the clergy and laity of Vercelli, the pope announced that, in accordance with a decision of a Roman synod, he had consecrated Cospertus a bishop and named him bishop of Vercelli. Savio, p. 444. Kehr IV.2, p. 10, no. 9: "nuntiat, Karolomannum regem istius Italici regni ipsum Vercellen. episcopatum more praecessorum suorum regum et imperatorum concessisse huic Cosperto seque hunc ipsum s. Vercellen. ecclesiae episcopum consecravisse; iubet, ut eum quasi patrem et rectorem recipiant et, abiecto ac reprobato supradicto invasore, hunc habeant episcopum."
^Lituardus had been archchancellor of Charles the Fat, from which he was dismissed in June 887. He was already in office as bishop on 1 February 880. He was slain during the invasion of the Hungarians (899). According to the calendar of the Church of Vercelli, "Idibus Decembris [899], occisio totius Cleri facta ab Hunnis et Arianis tempore gloriosissimi Liutardi episcopi." Savio, pp. 445-446. Kehr VI.2, p. 11, nos. 11-14.
^Ingo (Ingobardus): Savio, pp. 455-457. Schwartz, p. 136.
^Petrus was a German attached to Otto II with whom he fought the Saracens in southern Italy; defeated and enslaved, he was sent to Egypt. He returned, only to be killed by Arduino, the marquess of Ivrea who hoped to be King of Italy himself. Arduin is named in a diploma of the Emperor Otto III as a public enemy because "Petrum episcopum Vercellensem et interfectum incendere non expavit." Ardoin burned Petrus' body. Savio, pp. 457-461. Schwartz, p. 136.
^Adelbertus (Adalbertus): Savio, p. 461-463. Schwartz, p. 136.
^Leo was perhaps another German prelate, though the claim is contested, who became chancellor of Holy Roman Emperors Otto III and Henry II. Savio, pp. 463-465. Schwartz, pp. 136–137: "Als Bischof ist er zuerst 7. Mai 999, zuletzt 1. August 1022 bezeugt (DO. HI, 323; Gonst. I, 34). Er starb 1026 in den Ostertagen (10. April, Wipo c. 12 ed. Breßlau p. 25)." H. Bloch, "Beiträge zur Geschichte des Bischofs Leo von Vercelli", (in German), in: Neues Archiv der Gesellschaft für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde Vol. 22 (1897), pp. 16-136. H. Dormeier, "Un vescovo in Italia alle soglie del Mille: Leone di Vercelli «episcopus imperii, servus sancti Eusebii»," in: Bollettino storico vercellese 28/2 (1999), pp. 37-74.
^Bishop Ardericus was present at the Roman synod of 6 April 1027. Savio, pp. 465-466. Schwartz, p. 137.
^Gregorius (I): In April 1051, Bishop Gregorius was excommunicated at a Roman synod of Pope Leo IX, but he was soon reinstated. Savio, pp. 466-468. Schwartz, pp. 137-138.
^H. Bresslau, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Libelli de lite imperatorum et pontificum, Tomus 1 (Hannover: Hahn 1891), p. 628: "De tempore, quo Wenricus ad episcopatum Vercellensem accessit, certi nihil statui potest, cum iam a. 1080. in actis synodi Brixinensis (Jaffé, Biblioth. V, p. 136) nomen Regengeri inveniatur: Regengerus Vercellensis episcopus subscripsit. Unde, Bresslavio monente, dubitari potest, num rêvera Wenricus episcopatum illum
umquam adeptus sit." Schwartz, p. 139.
^Bishop Regengerus (Rainerius, Reinherus) was a supporter of the Emperor Henry IV. He first appears as a signatory of the acts of the synod of Brixen, which deposed Pope Gregory VII. Philippus Jaffé, Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum Tomus 5: Monumenta Bambergensia (Berlin: Weidmann 1869), p. 136. Schwartz, p. 139.
^Savio, p. 470: Petrus, a senior canon of the cathedral chapter of Vercelli testified in an inquiry: "se vidisse omnes episcopos, qui fuerunt inter Rainerium et episcopum Anselmum, stare in episcopatu Vercellensi sine consecratione, ita quod pro episcopis non tenebantur, sed ipsi intrusi per vim episcopatum tenebant...."
^Sigefredus (Sifredus, Zeyfredus). Schwartz, p. 139.
^Ardicius held sway for three years. Savio, pp. 474-475. Schwartz, p. 141.
^Canon Peter took part in an inquiry (Savio, p. 470), "Interrogatus qui fuerint catholici post ipsos. Respondeo primus fuit Dominus Anselmus, quem ego vidi stare in isto episcopatu per quattuor annos, sed ante ibi steterat per quinque annos, ut audivi." Bishop Anselmus began as in intrusus, but after five years his condition was regularized, and he was canonical bishop for another four years. One of his grants of subinfeudation was cancelled by the Emperor Conrad (1124–1137), since Anselmus had acted "contra voluntatem suae ecclesiae occulte et irrationabiliter." (Savio, p. 476). Anselmus was the first bishop of Vercelli to also hold the title of count. Schwartz, p. 141.
^Bishop Gisulf served for twenty years (Savio, p. 470). He re-established common life among the canons in 1144 (Savio, p. 479). On 10 March 1149, Bishop Gisulf granted a fief to Guala Avogadro: Arnoldi, p. 214. He died on 29 April 1151. In 1191, the Emperor Henry VI annulled several investitures of Bishop Gisulf which had been made contrary to his own oath and the mandate of Pope Eugenius III (1145–1153). Savio, pp. 477-481.
^Arnoldi, pp. 220 (12 December 1174); 227, 229 (23 February 1178); 235: The Provost Manfred informed Archbishop Alvisius of Milan (between 1182 and 1185) of several cases of damage to the property of the diocese of Vercelli in the time of Bishop Guala.
^Crivelli was also Archbishop of Milan, holding both Vercelli and Milan at the same time. He was elected Pope Urban III on 25 November 1185.
^Albert Avogadro was a Canon Regular at Mortara, then elected bishop of Bobbio, but translated to Vercelli; made Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (Reichsfürst) in 1191; founder of the cathedral chair of theology, elected Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (1204–1214); approved the Rule of the Carmelite Order. Laura Minghetti, "Alberto vescovo di Vercelli (1185–1205): Contributo per una biografia," in: Aevum 59, Fasc. 2 (maggio-agosto 1985), pp. 267-304.
^In April 1208 Bishop Lotharius was already archbishop-elect of Pisa. In 1215 he was named Patriarch of Jerusalem. Savio, p. 487. Eubel I, pp. 399, 520.
^Aliprandus first appears as bishop in March 1208. In 1212, he was a candidate in the election of a new archbishop of Milan. In 1213, he was papal legate, and in February 1213, approved a transfer of property made by Bishop Giudoto of Asti. Bishop Aliprandus died on 26 September 1213. Savio, p. 488. Eubel I, p. 520.
^On 4 July 1214, Bishop Ugo invested Visconte dei Visconti podestà of Vercelli and of all the territory of Vercelli which was held by the bishop. He died on 30 November 1235, having sat as bishop for 20½ years. Savio, pp. 488-490. Eubel I, p. 520.
^Jacobus is recorded as still bishop-elect on 10 September 1236. Bishop Jacobus died on 15 February 1241. Savio, pp. 490-491. Eubel I, pp. 520-521.
^Following the death of Bishop Jacobus, the Chapter of the cathedral elected "W", the Archdeacon of Vercelli, but his candidacy was rejected by the papal legate, Gregorius de Montelongo; an appeal to the pope was impossible, since the papal throne was vacant from August 1241 until 25 June 1243. The Chapter than proceeded to elect Martinus de Advocatis, Provost of the cathedral of S. Eusebio in Vercelli, despite the fact that he was excommunicated and "minus idoneus", not least because his family were repeatedly hostile and violent toward the Church of Vercelli. On 9 June 1244, Pope Innocent IV instituted an investigation into Martin's election as being uncanonical. Bishop Martinus died in July 1268. Élie Berger, Les registres d'Innocent IV Tome 1 (Paris: Thorin 1884), p. 125, no. 736. Ughelli IV, p. 798. Marchetti-Longi (1913), pp. 645-650 and 653-657. Savio, pp. 492-493. Eubel I, p. 521 with note 3.
^There was a contested election, which could not be settled by the pope, since Pope Clement IV died on 29 November 1268, and the next pope, Gregory X, did not take office until February 1272. Savio, p. 493.
^Aimone had been bishop of Aosta. He was appointed bishop of Vercelli by Pope Gregory X on 21 December 1273. He died on 19 June 1303. Jean Guiraud, Les registres de Grégoire X Tome 1 (Paris: Thorin 1892), pp. 104–105, no. 261. Ughelli IV, p. 798. Savio, pp. 493-494. Eubel I, pp. 117, 521.
^Rainerio Avogadro had been Provost, and then Archdeacon, of the cathedral of S. Eusebio. He originally refused his election; he opposed the partisans of Fra Dolcino. Giovanni Antonio Ranza, Il primo ingresso dei Vescovi di Vercelli, (Vercelli: Tip. Patria 1779), p. 11. Ughelli IV, pp. 798-801. Eubel I, p. 521.
^Ubertus de Advocatis de Collobiano was sixth and last of Avogadro count-bishops of Vercelli. Ughelli IV, p. 801-803. Eubel I, p. 521.
^Lombardo: Ughelli IV, p. 803-804. Eubel I, p. 521.
^Giovanni was removed from office as a follower of Urban VI (Roman Obedience). He was appointed Cardinal-priest of San Marco by Urban VI on 18 September 1378. He died before December 1384. Eubel I, p. 521.
^Matthaeus de Giselbertis: Ughelli IV, p. 806-807. Eubel I, pp. 24 no. 25; 521.
^A native of Genoa, Ibletus was appointed bishop of Vercelli by Pope John XXIII on 26 August 1412. Eubel I, p. 521.
^Didier, who held a licence in civil and canon law, had been bishop of Bellay (1427–1437). He was transferred to Vercelli by Pope Eugenius IV. In November 1439, he was an elector of the Antipope Felix V. In 1452, he voluntarily sought permission to resign. Ughelli IV, p. 808. Eubel I, p. 131; II, pp. 103, 265 with note 1.
^Ferrero was a protonotary apostolic, and Auditor of the Roman Rota. He was Coadjutor Bishop of Bishop Boninvardo (1493–1499). He was transferred to the diocese of Bologna on 24 January 1502. He was named a cardinal by Pope Alexander VI on 28 September 1500, but the appointment was not made public until 28 June 1502. He died on 5 October 1510. Ughelli IV, pp. 809-810. Cappelletti XIV, pp. 416-417. Eubel II, pp. 7 no. 36, 108, 265.
^Cardinal della Rovere, Bishop of Bologna, was being harassed by the tyrant Giovanni Bentivoglio, and therefore he exchanged the diocese of Bologna for that of Vercelli. On 1 November 1503, he was elected Pope Julius II (1503–1513). Ughelli IV, p. 810. Eubel II, p. 265; III, p. 9.
^Ferrero was transferred back to Vercelli from Bologna by Pope Julius II, on 31 October 1503. He was named Administrator of the Ivrea on 5 November 1509, replacing his brother, who was transferred to Vercelli from Ivrea. Giovanni Stefano died on 5 October 1510. Ughelli IV, pp. 809-810. Cappelletti XIV, pp. 416-417. Eubel III, pp. 214, 330.
^Bonifacio was the brother of Cardinal Giovanni Stefano. He was appointed bishop of Vercelli on 5 November 1509. He was named Bishop of Ivrea on 17 September 1511. He was named a cardinal by Pope Leo X on 1 July 1517. He resigned the diocese of Ivrea on 17 May 1518, in favor of his nephew, Philibertus Ferrero. He died on 2 January 1543 as Bishop of Porto. Carlo Tenivelli, Biografia Piemontese, (in Italian), Volume 4, part 2 (Torino: Briolo, 1792), pp. 45-116. Cappelletti XIV, p. 417. Eubel III, pp. 15 no. 15; 214; 330.
^Agostino Ferrerio, brother of Cardinal Bonifacio Ferrero, had been bishop-elect of Nice (1506–1511). He succeeded his brother on 17 September 1511. He died in 1536. Cappelletti XIV, p. 417. Eubel III, p. 330 with note 3.
^Pier Francesco Ferrero: Cappelletti XIV, p. 417. Eubel III, p. 330 with note 5.
^Guido Luca was named a cardinal by Pope Pius IV on 12 March 1565. He was the founder of the seminary, and embellished the cathedral and introduced the Tridentine reform. He died in Rome on 16 May 1585. Cappelletti XIV, pp. 418-419. Eubel III, pp. 41 no. 40; 330 with notes 7 and 8.
^Bonomi (Bonomigni) had been abbot of the monastery of Nonantola since 1566. He was appointed bishop of Vercelli by Pope Gregory XIII in the consistory of 17 October 1572. He continued the reform mandated by the Council of Trent, and replaced (1573) the Eusebian Rite by the Roman rite. Bishop Bonomi was appointed papal nuncio to Switzerland in May 1579. He was named nuncio to the Emperor in Vienna in September 1581, and then transferred to the nunciature in Cologne in October 1584; he died in Liège on 26 February 1587. Henry Biaudet, Les nonciatures apostoliques permanentes jusqu'en 1648,(in French), (Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia 1910), pp. 255-256. Eubel III, p. 330 with notes 9 and 10.
^Sarnano was named a cardinal on 16 November 1586 by Pope Sixtus V. He was appointed bishop of Vercelli on 6 April 1587. He resigned the diocese on 29 May 1589, and retired to the convent of the Basilica di XII Apostoli in Rome. He died in Rome on 20 December 1595. Cappelletti XIV, p. 419. Eubel III, pp. 51 no. 14; 330.
^A native of Asti, Asinari was a Referendary of the Tribunal of the Two Signatures, and was appointed Governor of Rome in 1576, for a period of 5 years. He was named bishop of Vercelli on 29 May 1589, by Pope Sixtus V. He died in 1590. Ughelli IV, p. 814. Cappelletti XIV, p. 419. G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Vol. 32 (Venezia: Emiliana 1845), p. 42. Eubel III, p. 330.
^Visia was a native of Asti. Ughelli IV, p. 814. Eubel III, p. 330.
^Ferrero was a nephew of Cardinal Marco Antonio Bobba, and was a Referendary of the Tribunal of the Two Signatures. He was appointed bishop of Vercelli on 29 March 1599 by Pope Clement VIII. He held a diocesan synod in 1600. From 1605 to 1607 he was papal nuncio in Prague. He died in Biella in 1611 (Ughelli, Cappelletti, Eubel). Ughelli IV, pp. 814-815. Cappelletti XIV, p. 419. Eubel III, p. 330. Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 362 with note 2. Almut Bues, "Ferrero, Giovanni Stefano,", (in Italian), Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Volume 47 (1997), states that Ferrero died on 21 September 1610.
^Gorda: Gauchat, Hierarchia catholica IV, p. 362 with note 3.
^On 28 September 1778, Costa d'Arignano was confirmed Archbishop of Turin by Pope Pius VI. Ritzler & Sefrin VI, p. 438 with note 3.
^Martiniana was named a cardinal by Pope Pius VI on 1 June 1778. He attended the conclave in Venice in 1799–1800, in which Pope Pius VII (Chiaramonti) was elected. He died in Vercelli on 7 December 1802. Cappelletti XIV, p. 421. Ritzler & Sefrin VI, pp. 32 no. 22, with notes 57 and 58; 438 with note 4.
^Grimaldi was born at Moncalieri in the diocese of Turin in 1754. He held the degree of doctor of theology (Turin 1778). He was Cantor Major, canon and prebend of the cathedral of Vercelli. For many years he served as Rector of the episcopal seminary of Vercelli. He had been Bishop of Pinerolo (1797–1803), and Bishop of Ivrea. He was apostolic administrator of the diocese of Vercelli from 1814 to 1817. He was nominated Archbishop of Vercelli by Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia on 8 August 1817, and confirmed by Pope Pius VII on 1 October 1817. He died on 1 January 1830. Cappelletti XIV, pp. 422-425. Ritzler & Sefrin VI, p. 338; VII, pp. 225, 393.
^A native of Turin, D'Agennes had been Bishop of Alessandria. Cappelletti XIV, p. 425.
Ferraris, G. (1963). "La vita commune nelle canoniche di S. Eusebio e di S. Maria di Vercelli nel secolo XII," (in Italian), in: Rivista di storia della Chiesa in Italia 17 (1963) pp. 365–394.
Frankfurth, Hermann (1898). Gregorius de Montelongo: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte Oberitaliens in den Jahren 1238-1269.(in German). Marburg: R. Friedrich, 1898.
Kehr, Paul Fridolin (1914). Italia pontificia : sive, Repertorium privilegiorum et litterarum a romanis pontificibus ante annum 1598 Italiae ecclesiis, monasteriis, civitatibus singulisque personis concessorum.(in Latin) Vol. VI. pars ii. Berolini: Weidmann. pp. 7–57.
Panero, Francesco (2004). Una signoria vescovile nel cuore dell'Impero. Funzioni pubbliche, diritti signorili e proprietà della Chiesa di Vercelli dall'età tardocarolingia all'età sveva.(in Italian) Vercelli: Società storica vercellese 2004.
Ughelli, Ferdinando; Coleti, Niccolo (1719). Italia sacra sive de Episcopis Italiae (in Latin). Vol. quartus (IV) (secunda ed.). Apud Sebastianum Coleti. pp. 744–815.
