Only a five-minute walk from the train station of Vercelli, you’ll find the cathedral of St. Eusebius. With its rich outer decoration and differences compared to the other buildings around it, like the Seminario Arcivescovile and the Basilica di Sant’Andrea, the cathedral shows multiple signs of its even richer history.
According to some sources, after the Death of St. Eusebius (283-371 AD), the first Bishop of Vercelli, in the 4th century a chapel was built in his name. What’s definitive is that a basilica was built on the same spot two centuries later. Both religious buildings were apparently the victims of demolition and robbery, as they are rooted to a pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena, providing many visitors and relics.
The only surviving part of the older romanesque construction is the belltower. The square tower has only one bell chamber with three arches on each side. The tower itself is divided into three horizontal levels, decorated with half columns and arch ornaments.
In the 16th century the church was rebuilt by Cardinal Guido Luca Ferrero. During this time in the year 1581 St. Eusebius body was found in the cathedral and remains there to this day. Ferrero started the renovation with the apse, choir and the two side chapels.
In the 18th century the nave, aisles, and transept renovation were finalized which constructed the new Latin cross shape, we still see today. As of today, the cathedral has 3 naves which are divided into a central nave and the two side aisles. These are separated by fives bays with piers to hold them. Infront of them are columns with a Corinthian capital and a marble optic. The central nave has barrel vaults, while the side aisles have dome vaults and ionic columns.
The side chapels in the transept are devoted to St. Eusebius and the blessed Amadeus IX of Savoy who is also buried there. The house of Savoy ruled over parts of the French and Italian territory. Other members of the family are also buried in the cathedral.
In that time the facade was also redone in a neo classist style by Benedetto Alfieri. Bright and in strong contrast we find minimal decoration mostly of half columns and piers. On the roof are statues of the twelve apostles and Christ as the redeemer.
A century later the dome was finished, and no larger construction followed, until the restoration in the 2010s.
Bibliography
https://www.cittaecattedrali.it/en/bces/9-cathedral-of-sant-eusebio
https://www.beweb.chiesacattolica.it/cattedrali/cattedrale/511/
https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienE/Eusebius_von_Vercelli.html