Cattedrale di Sant'Eusebio

Vercelli Cathedral, dedicated to Sant'Eusebio, is the seat of the archdiocese and one of the earliest Christian sites in Piedmont. Its present Renaissance body incorporates a Romanesque bell tower and a long history of rebuilding.

Why it matters

The cathedral grew from a fourth-century basilica associated with Saint Eusebius, Vercelli's first bishop. Its place in the history of Christianity in north-western Italy is reflected in successive Romanesque and Renaissance building phases and its enduring role as the archiepiscopal seat.

What to notice

The Romanesque bell tower is a surviving fragment of the medieval cathedral. The current building reflects sixteenth-century redesigns associated with Pellegrino Tibaldi. The monumental Ottonian crucifix, made around 1000 with embossed silver cladding, was restored after vandalism in 1983. Its original internal filling is preserved in the adjoining cathedral treasury museum. Royal tombs include those of members of the House of Savoy.

Context and history

Saint Eusebius, bishop of Vercelli in the fourth century, is traditionally associated with the foundation of the first basilica on this site. The cathedral was rebuilt and enlarged during the Middle Ages. Its Romanesque tower dates to the twelfth century, while the main body was reshaped in the sixteenth century along Renaissance lines. The cathedral's liturgical treasures and manuscripts are preserved in the adjacent Museo del Tesoro del Duomo.