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Coordinates: 45°19′32″N 08°25′23″E / 45.32556°N 8.42306°E / 45.32556; 8.42306
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{{for|the surname|Vercelli (surname)}}
{{Expand Italian}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name = Vercelli
| name = Vercelli
| official_name = Città di Vercelli
| official_name = Città di Vercelli
| native_name =
| native_name = {{native name|pms|Vërsèj}}
| image_skyline = Vercelli PiazzaCavour.jpg
| image_skyline = Vercelli PiazzaCavour.jpg
| imagesize =
| imagesize =
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| map_alt =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| map_caption =
| motto = {{lang|la|{{sqc|Potius mori quam foedari}}}}<br>{{small|(roughly: "Death before dishonor")}}
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| coordinates = {{coord|45|19|N|8|25|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|45|19|32|N|08|25|23|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| region = [[Piedmont]]
| region = [[Piedmont]]
| province = [[Province of Vercelli|Vercelli]] (VC)
| province = [[Province of Vercelli|Vercelli]] (VC)
| frazioni = Brarola, Cappuccini, Larizzate, Bivio Sesia, Boarone, Campora, Canton Biliemme, Carengo, Cascina Mostioli, Cascine Strà, Cominetti, Montonero
| frazioni = Brarola, Cappuccini, Larizzate, Bivio Sesia, Boarone, Campora, Canton Biliemme, Carengo, Cascina Mostioli, Cascine Strà, Cominetti, Montonero
| mayor_party = Left wing coalition
| mayor_party = [[Forza Italia (2013)|FI]]
| mayor = Maura Forte
| mayor = [[Andrea Corsaro]]
| area_footnotes =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 79.85
| area_total_km2 = 79.77
| population_footnotes =
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 46552
| population_total = 45875
| population_as_of = 1-1-2017
| population_as_of = 1-1-2021
| pop_density_footnotes =
| pop_density_footnotes =
| population_demonym = Vercellese(i)
| population_demonym = Vercellese(i)
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}}
}}


'''Vercelli''' {{IPA-it|verˈtʃɛlli|}} {{audio|It-Vercelli.ogg|<small>listen</small>}} (''Vërsèj'' in [[Piedmontese language|Piedmontese]], also known as 'The City'), is a [[city]] and ''[[comune]]'' of 46.552 inhabitants (1-1-2017) in the [[Province of Vercelli]], [[Piedmont]], northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.
'''Vercelli''' ({{IPA|it|verˈtʃɛlli|-|It-Vercelli.ogg}}; {{langx|pms|Vërsèj}} {{IPA-pms|vərˈsɛj|pron}}) is a [[city]] and ''[[comune]]'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the [[Province of Vercelli]], [[Piedmont]], [[northern Italy]]. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around 600 BC.


The city is situated on the river [[Sesia]] in the [[Pianura padana|plain of the river Po]] between [[Milan]] and [[Turin]]. It is an important centre for the cultivation of [[rice]], and is surrounded by [[rice paddies]], which are flooded in the summer. The climate is typical of the Po Valley with cold, foggy winters ({{convert|0.4|°C|0|abbr=on}} in January) and oppressive heat during the summer months<!--‘estati calde ed afose’: in this case ‘sultry’ would be an exaggeration; oppressive is not--> ({{convert|23.45|°C|0|abbr=on}} in July). Rainfall is most prevalent during the spring and autumn; thunderstorms are common in the summer.
The city is situated on the [[Sesia]] River in the [[Pianura padana|plain of the Po River]] between [[Milan]] and [[Turin]]. It is an important centre for the cultivation of [[rice]] and is surrounded by [[rice paddies]], which are flooded in the summer. The climate is typical of the Po Valley with cold, foggy winters ({{convert|0.4|°C|0|abbr=on}} in January) and oppressive heat during the summer months<!--‘estati calde ed afose’: in this case ‘sultry’ would be an exaggeration; oppressive is not--> ({{convert|23.45|°C|0|abbr=on|disp=or}} in July). Rainfall is most prevalent during the spring and autumn; thunderstorms are common in the summer.


The languages spoken in Vercelli are [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Piedmontese language|Piedmontese]]; the variety of Piedmontese native to the city is called ''Varsleis''.
The languages spoken in Vercelli are [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Piedmontese language|Piedmontese]]; the variety of Piedmontese native to the city is called ''Varsleis''.


The world's first university funded by public money was established in Vercelli in 1228 (the seventh university founded in Italy), but was closed in 1372.
The world's first university funded by public money was established in Vercelli in 1228 (the seventh university founded in Italy), but was closed in 1372. Today it has a university of literature and philosophy as a part of the [[University of Eastern Piedmont|Università del Piemonte Orientale]] and a satellite campus of the [[Politecnico di Torino]].
Today it has a university of literature and philosophy as a part of the [[University of Eastern Piedmont|Università del Piemonte Orientale]] and a satellite campus of the [[Politecnico di Torino]].


== History ==
== History ==
Vercellae (or ''Vercelum'') was the capital of the ''Libici'' or ''Lebecili'', a [[Ligures|Ligurian]] tribe; it became an important [[municipium]], near which [[Gaius Marius]] defeated the [[Cimbri]] and the [[Teutones]] in the [[Battle of Vercellae]] in 101 [[Common Era|BC]].


The imperial [[magister militum]] [[Flavius Stilicho]] annihilated the Goths there 500 years later. It was half-ruined in [[St. Jerome]]'s time (''olim potens, nunc raro habitatore semiruta'' (1, 3.1)). After the [[Lombards|Lombard]] invasion it belonged to the [[Duchy of Ivrea]]. From 885 it was under the jurisdiction of the [[prince-bishop]], who was a [[Imperial Count|Count of the Empire]].
Vercellae ('''Vercelum''') was the capital of the ''Libici'' or ''Lebecili'', a [[Ligures|Ligurian]] tribe; it became an important [[municipium]], near which [[Gaius Marius]] defeated the [[Cimbri]] and the [[Teutones]] in the [[Battle of Vercellae]] in 101 [[Common Era|BC]].


It became an independent commune in 1120 and joined the first and second Lombard leagues. Its statutes are among the most interesting of those of the medieval republics. In 1197 they abolished the [[servitude of the glebe]]. In 1228 the [[University of Pavia]] was transferred to Vercelli, where it remained until the fourteenth century, but without gaining much prominence; only a university school of law has been maintained.
The imperial [[magister militum]] [[Flavius Stilicho]] annihilated the Goths there 500 years later. It was half ruined in [[St. Jerome]]'s time (''olim potens, nunc raro habitatore semiruta'' (1, 3.1)). After the [[Lombards|Lombard]] invasion it belonged to the [[Duchy of Ivrea]]. From 885 it was under the jurisdiction of the [[prince-bishop]], who was a [[Count of the Empire]].


In 1307, [[Fra Dolcino]], the leader of the [[Dulcinians]], was tortured and burned at the stake.
It became an independent commune in 1120, and joined the first and second Lombard leagues. Its statutes are among the most interesting of those of the medieval republics. In 1197 they abolished the [[servitude of the glebe]]. In 1228 the [[University of Pavia]] was transferred to Vercelli, where it remained till the fourteenth century, but without gaining much prominence; only a university school of law has been maintained.


During the troubles of the 13th century, it fell into the power of the [[Della Torre]] of Milan (1263), of the Marquesses of [[Monferrato]] (1277), who appointed [[Matteo I Visconti]] captain (1290–1299). The Tizzoni ([[Ghibellines]]) and Avogadri ([[Guelphs]]) disputed the city from 1301 to 1334. The Guelphs were expelled several times, enabling the Marquess of Monferrato to take Vercelli (1328), which voluntarily placed itself under the Viscount of Milan in 1334. In 1373, Bishop Giovanni Fieschi expelled the Visconti, but Matteo reconquered the city. [[Facino Cane]] (1402), profiting by the strife between [[Giovanni Maria Visconti|Giovanni Maria]] and [[Filippo Maria Visconti]], took Vercelli, but was driven out by [[Theodore II of Montferrat]] (1404), from whom the city passed to the [[dukes of Savoy]] (1427).
In 1307, [[Fra Dolcino]], the leader of the [[Dulcinian]] was tortured and burned at the stake.

During the troubles of the 13th century it fell into the power of the [[Della Torre]] of Milan (1263), of the Marquesses of [[Monferrato]] (1277), who appointed [[Matteo I Visconti]] captain (1290–1299). The Tizzoni ([[Ghibellines]]) and Avogadri ([[Guelphs]]) disputed the city from 1301 to 1334. The Guelphs were expelled several times, enabling the Marquess of Monferrato to take Vercelli (1328), which voluntarily placed itself under the Viscount of Milan in 1334. In 1373, Bishop Giovanni Fieschi expelled the Visconti, but Matteo reconquered the city. [[Facino Cane]] (1402), profiting by the strife between [[Giovanni Maria Visconti|Giovanni Maria]] and [[Filippo Maria Visconti]], took Vercelli, but was driven out by [[Theodore II of Montferrat]] (1404), from whom the city passed to the [[dukes of Savoy]] (1427).


In 1499 and 1553 Vercelli was captured by the French, and in 1616 and 1678 by the Spaniards. In 1704 it sustained an energetic siege by the French, who failed to destroy the fortress, after which it shared the fortunes of Savoy. In 1821 Vercelli rose in favour of the Constitution.
In 1499 and 1553 Vercelli was captured by the French, and in 1616 and 1678 by the Spaniards. In 1704 it sustained an energetic siege by the French, who failed to destroy the fortress, after which it shared the fortunes of Savoy. In 1821 Vercelli rose in favour of the Constitution.

==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Vercelli}}


== Main sights ==
== Main sights ==
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Vercelli is home to numerous relics of the Roman period, e.g. an amphitheatre, hippodrome, sarcophagi, and many important inscriptions, some of which are Christian.
Vercelli is home to numerous relics of the Roman period, e.g. an amphitheatre, hippodrome, sarcophagi, and many important inscriptions, some of which are Christian.


There are seven noteworthy towers in the town, most important are the ''Torre dell’Angelo'', which rears up over the old market square, and the ''Torre di Città ''in Via Gioberti.
There are seven noteworthy towers in the town, the most important are the ''Torre dell’Angelo'', which rears up over the old market square, and the ''Torre di Città'' in Via Gioberti.


[[File:Vercelli-Santandrea.jpg|thumb|left|160px|St. Andrew’s Basilica.]]
[[File:Vercelli-Santandrea.jpg|thumb|left|160px|St. Andrew's Basilica.]]


[[Vercelli Cathedral]], formerly adorned with precious pillars and [[mosaics]], was erected and enlarged by Saint [[Eusebius of Vercelli]], to whom it was dedicated after his death. It was remodeled as of the ninth century, and radically changed in the eighteenth by Count Alfieri. Like the other churches in the city, it contains valuable paintings, especially those of [[Gaudenzio Ferrari]], [[Gerolamo Giovenone]] and [[Bernardino Lanino]], who were natives of Vercelli.
[[Vercelli Cathedral]], formerly adorned with precious pillars and [[mosaics]], was erected and enlarged by Saint [[Eusebius of Vercelli]], to whom it was dedicated after his death. It was remodelled as of the ninth century and radically changed in the eighteenth by Count Alfieri. Like the other churches in the city, it contains valuable paintings, especially those of [[Gaudenzio Ferrari]], [[Gerolamo Giovenone]] and [[Bernardino Lanino]], who were natives of Vercelli.


The cathedral's Capitulary Library contains valuable manuscripts. Its religious texts include the [[Codex Vercellensis]], an evangelarium of the fourth century; hagiographical manuscripts, not all of which have been critically examined; and a very old copy of the ''[[Imitation of Christ]]'', which is relied upon as an argument for attributing the authorship to [[John Gersen]]. Its secular texts include the ''[[Novellae Constitutiones|Novels]]'' of [[Justinian]]; and the 8th-century ''Leges Langobardorum'' (Laws of the Lombards - Germanic). Finally it contains the famous [[Vercelli Book]] — an [[Old English]] manuscript which includes the celebrated alliterative poem ''[[The Dream of the Rood]]''. The civil archives are not less important, and contain documents dating from 882.
The cathedral's Capitulary Library contains valuable manuscripts. Its religious texts include the [[Codex Vercellensis]], an evangeliarium of the fourth century; hagiographical manuscripts, not all of which have been critically examined; and a very old copy of the ''[[Imitation of Christ]]'', which is relied upon as an argument for attributing the authorship to [[John Gersen]]. Its secular texts include the ''[[Novellae Constitutiones|Novels]]'' of [[Justinian]]; and the 8th-century ''Leges Langobardorum'' (Laws of the Lombards - Germanic). Finally, it contains the famous [[Vercelli Book]] — an [[Old English]] manuscript which includes the celebrated alliterative poem ''[[The Dream of the Rood]]''. The civil archives are not less important and contain documents dating from 882.


The [[Basilica di Sant'Andrea]] was erected by Cardinal [[Guala Bicchieri]] in 1219. Together with the old [[Cistercian]] [[monastery]], it is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] monuments in Italy. Among other noteworthy churches in the city is the ''[[Santa Maria Maggiore (disambiguation)|Santa Maria Maggiore]]''.
The [[Basilica di Sant'Andrea]] was erected by Cardinal [[Guala Bicchieri]] in 1219. Together with the old [[Cistercian]] [[monastery]], it is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] monuments in Italy. Among other noteworthy churches in the city is the ''[[Santa Maria Maggiore (disambiguation)|Santa Maria Maggiore]]''.


[[Vercelli Synagogue|Vercelli's synagogue]], an example of [[Moorish Revival architecture]], is located at Via Foà 70 and the city's [[Jewish cemetery]] at Corso Randaccio 24.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jewish Cemeteries |url=http://www.jewishitaly.org/detail.asp?ID=188 |publisher=Chabad Travel Guide |accessdate=12 January 2013}}</ref> On 23 November 2013, after what was believed to be an [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] act, two [[swastika]]s were found sprayed on its walls.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vercelli, svastiche sul cimitero ebraico L'incursione è stata compiuta nella notte |url=http://www.unionesarda.it/Articoli/Articolo/295831 |publisher=L'UNIONE SARDA.it |accessdate=12 January 2013}}</ref>
[[Vercelli Synagogue|Vercelli's synagogue]], an example of [[Moorish Revival architecture]], is located at Via Foà 70 and the city's [[Jewish cemetery]] at Corso Randaccio 24.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jewish Cemeteries |url=http://www.jewishitaly.org/detail.asp?ID=188 |publisher=Chabad Travel Guide |access-date=12 January 2013}}</ref> On 23 November 2013, after what was believed to be an [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] act, two [[swastika]]s were found sprayed on its walls.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vercelli, svastiche sul cimitero ebraico L'incursione è stata compiuta nella notte |url=http://www.unionesarda.it/Articoli/Articolo/295831 |publisher=L'UNIONE SARDA.it |access-date=12 January 2013}}</ref>


The Institute of the Beaux-Arts contains paintings by Vercellese artists.
The Institute of the Beaux-Arts contains paintings by Vercellese artists.
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== Demographics ==
== Demographics ==


In 2007, 44,475 people were recorded as residing in Vercelli, of whom 47.3% were male and 52.7% were female. Minors (children aged 18 and younger) totaled 14.41% of the population and pensioners 25.83%; the overall national averages are, respectively, 18.06% and 19.94%. The average age of a Vercelli resident was 47 (five years more than the national average of 42) and the birth rate was 8.69 births per 1,000 inhabitants (national average 9.45 births per 1,000 inhabitants). In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Vercelli declined by 1.31% while the national population grew by 3.56%.<ref>{{br-separated entries |http://demo.istat.it/bil2002/index.html |http://demo.istat.it/bil2007/index.html}}</ref>
In 2007, 44,475 people were recorded as residing in Vercelli, of whom 47.3% were male and 52.7% were female. Minors (children aged 18 and younger) totalled 14.41% of the population and pensioners 25.83%; the overall national averages are, respectively, 18.06% and 19.94%. The average age of a Vercelli resident was 47 (five years more than the national average of 42) and the birth rate was 8.69 births per 1,000 inhabitants (national average of 9.45 births per 1,000 inhabitants). In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Vercelli declined by 1.31% while the national population grew by 3.56%.<ref>{{br-separated entries| {{cite web |url=http://demo.istat.it/bil2002/index.html |title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT (2002) |website=demo.istat.it |access-date=}} | {{cite web |url=http://demo.istat.it/bil2007/index.html |title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT (2007) |website=demo.istat.it |access-date=}}}}</ref>


{{As of|2006}}, 92.38% of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. The remainder were [[Albania]]n and [[Romania]]n (3.48%), [[North Africa]]n (2.21%) and [[Sub-Saharan Africa|Sub-Saharan]] (0.64%). Approximately 1 in 6 babies born in Vercelli has a least one foreign parent.<ref>http://demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html</ref>
{{As of|2006}}, 92.38% of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. The remainder were [[Albania]]n and [[Romania]]n (3.48%), [[North Africa]]n (2.21%) and [[Sub-Saharan Africa|Sub-Saharan]] (0.64%). Approximately 1 in 6 babies born in Vercelli has at least one foreign parent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html |title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT (2006) |website=demo.istat.it |access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref>

{{Historical populations|1861|25103|1871|27101|1881|29244|1901|30470|1911|31926|1921|32159|1931|38581|1936|38956|1951|42159|1961|50907|1971|56494|1981|52488|1991|49458|2001|45132|2011|46308|2021|45176|footnote=Source: [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]|cols=2|align=none}}


== Museums ==
== Museums ==
* [http://www.museoleone.it// Museo Camillo Leone]
* [[Museo Camillo Leone]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museoleone.it/ |title=Museo Leone Vercelli {{!}} Home |work=www.museoleone.it |date= |access-date=}}</ref>
* [[Museo Francesco Borgogna]]


== Famous people ==
== Notable people ==
{{see also|Category:People from Vercelli}}
{{see also|Category:People from Vercelli}}
[[File:Giovanni Antonio Bazzi.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Giovanni Antonio Bazzi]]]]
* Bishop [[Atto of Vercelli|Atto II of Vercelli]].
* [[Eusebius of Vercelli]] (ca.283 – 371) first bishop in Vercelli (mid 340's) and counts as a saint.
* [[William of Montevergine]] (1085–1142) a wanderer, ascetic and founder of a number of monastic houses.
* [[Atto of Vercelli|Atto II of Vercelli]] (ca.885–961), a [[Lombards|Lombard]], became bishop of Vercelli in 924.
* [[Giovanni Antonio Bazzi]] also known as [[Il Sodoma]] (1477–1549), the [[Renaissance]] painter.
* [[William of Montevergine]] (1085–1142), a wanderer, ascetic and founder of a number of monastic houses.
* [[Luigi Galleani]] (1861–1931), anarchist.
* [[Guala Bicchieri]] (ca.1150 – 1227) diplomat, papal official and [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]].
* [[Pietro Ferraris]] (1912–1991), footballer.
* [[Emilia Bicchieri]] (1238–1314) Roman Catholic nun from the [[Order of Preachers]]
* [[Vittorio Mero]] (1974–2002), footballer.
* [[Fra Dolcino]] (ca.1250 – 1307) second leader of the [[Dulcinian]] reformist movement, burned at the stake.
* [[Silvio Piola]] (1913–1996), footballer.
* [[Giovanni Antonio Bazzi]] (1477–1549), also known as [[Il Sodoma]], a [[Renaissance]] painter.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Sodoma, Il | volume= 25 |last= Rossetti | first= William Michael |author-link= William Michael Rossetti | page = 343 |short= 1}}</ref>
* [[Angelo Gilardino]] (born 1941), composer and classical guitarist.
* [[Francesco Antonio Vallotti]] (1697–1780) composer, music theorist and organist.
* Guido Michelone (born 1954), writer, musicologist, and critic.
* [[Giacomo Abbondo]] (1720–1788), Roman Catholic priest, [[Beatification|beatified]] in 2015.
* [[Anita Caprioli]] (born 1973), theatre and film actress.
* [[Eusebio Bava]] (1790–1854) army general who fought in the [[First Italian War of Independence]].
* [[Fiorenza Cossotto]] (born 1935), opera singer.
* [[Angelo Agostini]] (1843–1910), illustrator and journalist.
* [[Edoardo Arborio Mella]] (1808–1884), architect, restorer and scholar.
* [[Angelo Agostini]] (1843–1910), illustrator, journalist and the first Brazilian [[cartoonist]].
* [[Luigi Galleani]] (1861–1931), anarchist in the US; advocated ''[[propaganda of the deed]]''
* [[Lucia Contini Anselmi]] (1876-after 1913), pianist and composer.
* [[Lucia Contini Anselmi]] (1876-after 1913), pianist and composer.
* [[Ennio Baiardi]] (1928–2014) politician, Mayor of Vercelli, 1975 to 1983
* [[Fiorenza Cossotto]] (born 1935), operatic mezzo-soprano.
* [[Angelo Gilardino]] (1941–2022), composer and classical guitarist.
* [[Anita Caprioli]] (born 1973), theatre and film actress.

=== Sport ===
[[File:Virginio Rosetta 1932.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Virginio Rosetta]], 1932]]
* [[Marcello Bertinetti]] (1885–1967), fencer, team gold medallist at the 1908, 1924 and [[1928 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Virginio Rosetta]] (1902–1975) footballer with 423 club caps and 52 for [[Italy national football team|Italy]]
* [[Pietro Ferraris]] (1912–1991), footballer with 533 club caps and 14 for [[Italy national football team|Italy]]
* [[Silvio Piola]] (1913–1996), footballer with 619 club caps and 34 for [[Italy national football team|Italy]]
* [[Teobaldo Depetrini]] (1914–1996), footballer with over 450 club caps and 12 for [[Italy national football team|Italy]]
* [[Franco Bertinetti]] (1923–1995), fencer, team gold medallist at the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952]] & [[1956 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Elisabetta Perrone]] (born 1968) [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 10 kilometres walk|race walker]] and multiple medallist
* [[Giovanni Pellielo]] (born 1970) sport shooter and four-time [[Shooting at the 2016 Summer Olympics|Olympic]] medallist in the [[Shooting at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's trap|trap]]
* [[Vittorio Mero]] (1974–2002), footballer with over 200 club caps
* [[Moise Kean]] (born 2000), footballer with over 100 club caps so far and 12 for [[Italy national football team|Italy]]


== Cuisine ==
== Cuisine ==


The typical dish is rice with beans, called ''panissa'' (''made with [[Arborio rice|Arborio]], Baldo or [[Maratelli]] rice''), the ''tartufata'' (cake) and the ''bicciolani'' a type of biscuits. The typical wine is [[Gattinara (wine)|Gattinara]] [[DOCG]], a classic red wine of Piedmont made principally from the [[nebbiolo]] grape (known locally as ''spanna'') from the ''[[comune]]'' of [[Gattinara]], where there is archaeological evidence of vines being grown in Roman times.
The typical dish is rice with beans, called ''panissa'' (made with [[Arborio rice|Arborio]], Baldo or [[Maratelli]] rice), the ''tartufata'' (cake) and the ''bicciolani'' a type of biscuit. The typical wine is [[Gattinara DOCG]], a classic red wine of Piedmont made principally from the [[nebbiolo]] grape (known locally as ''spanna'') from the ''[[comune]]'' of [[Gattinara]], where there is archaeological evidence of vines being grown in Roman times.


== Sport ==
== Sport ==


[[History of F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892|Unione Sportiva Pro Vercelli]] that was one of the most successful [[football (soccer)|football]] clubs in Italy in the early 20th century, winning the national championship seven times between 1908 and 1922. However, in the summer 2010 it was not admitted to the league due to heavy debt.
[[History of F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892|Unione Sportiva Pro Vercelli]] was one of the most successful [[football (soccer)|football]] clubs in Italy in the early 20th century, winning the national championship seven times between 1908 and 1922. However, in the summer of 2010, it was not admitted to the league due to heavy debt.


[[F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892#From A.S. Pro Belvedere Vercelli to F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892|A.S. Pro Belvedere Vercelli]] to continue the glorious history of the club, has changed its name to the [[F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892]]. Currently it plays in the [[Serie B]].
[[F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892#From A.S. Pro Belvedere Vercelli to F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892|A.S. Pro Belvedere Vercelli]] continued the history of the club and changed its name to [[F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892]]. Currently, it plays in [[Serie C]].


== Twin towns ==
== Twin towns ==
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Arles]], France
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Arles]], France
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Tortosa]], Spain
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Tortosa]], Spain

==Climate==

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location = Vercelli (1991–2020)
|Jan high C = 7.2
|Feb high C = 10.1
|Mar high C = 15.3
|Apr high C = 19.0
|May high C = 23.2
|Jun high C = 27.5
|Jul high C = 29.4
|Aug high C = 28.6
|Sep high C = 24.2
|Oct high C = 18.2
|Nov high C = 11.9
|Dec high C = 7.4
| year high C =
|Jan mean C = 2.7
|Feb mean C = 4.5
|Mar mean C = 8.9
|Apr mean C = 13.4
|May mean C = 17.9
|Jun mean C = 21.9
|Jul mean C = 23.5
|Aug mean C = 22.6
|Sep mean C = 18.2
|Oct mean C = 13.1
|Nov mean C = 7.7
|Dec mean C = 3.2
| year mean C =
|Jan low C = -1.9
|Feb low C = -1.2
|Mar low C = 2.5
|Apr low C = 7.9
|May low C = 12.7
|Jun low C = 16.3
|Jul low C = 17.6
|Aug low C = 16.7
|Sep low C = 12.1
|Oct low C = 8.0
|Nov low C = 3.4
|Dec low C = -0.9
| year low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 45.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 50.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 52.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 84.0
|May precipitation mm = 96.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 60.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 55.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 66.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 80.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 76.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 116.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 56.7
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 5.0
| Feb precipitation days = 4.2
| Mar precipitation days = 4.5
| Apr precipitation days = 7.7
| May precipitation days = 8.5
| Jun precipitation days = 6.0
| Jul precipitation days = 4.9
| Aug precipitation days = 5.8
| Sep precipitation days = 5.8
| Oct precipitation days = 7.0
| Nov precipitation days = 8.1
| Dec precipitation days = 5.1
| year precipitation days =
|source 1 = Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale<ref name = ISPRA>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230917192649/https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/
| archive-date = 17 September 2023
| url = https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/
| title = Valori climatici normali in Italia
| publisher=Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
| access-date = 29 June 2024}}</ref>
}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 131: Line 239:


== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* [http://www.archeovercelli.it/serv.html#INIZIO Vercelli] is a short article in English on the history and archaeology of the town from [http://www.archeovercelli.it archeovercelli.it], the site of the ''Gruppo Archeologico Vercellese''.
* [http://www.archeovercelli.it/serv.html#INIZIO Vercelli] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205010226/http://www.archeovercelli.it/serv.html#INIZIO |date=2012-02-05 }} is a short article in English on the history and archaeology of the town from [http://www.archeovercelli.it archeovercelli.it], the site of the ''Gruppo Archeologico Vercellese''.
* [http://www.dumsinandi.com/ dumsinandi.com] presents the ''[[Divine Comedy]]'' in English, Italian and ''vercellese'', the local [[Piedmontese language|Piedmontese]] dialect.
* [http://www.dumsinandi.com/ dumsinandi.com] presents the ''[[Divine Comedy]]'' in English, Italian and ''vercellese'', the local [[Piedmontese language|Piedmontese]] dialect.


== Sources and external links ==
== Sources and external links ==
{{Commons|Vercelli}}
{{Commons|Vercelli}}
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15348b.htm Vercelli]
* {{Catholic}}
** [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15348b.htm Vercelli]
* Macadam, Alta (1997). ''Blue Guide. Northern Italy: from the Alps to Bologna''. London: A & C Black. {{ISBN|0-7136-4294-7}}.
* Macadam, Alta (1997). ''Blue Guide. Northern Italy: from the Alps to Bologna''. London: A & C Black. {{ISBN|0-7136-4294-7}}.
* {{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle= Archdiocese of Vercelli |volume= 15 |last= Benigni |first= Umberto |author-link= Umberto Benigni ||short= 1}}
* [http://www.museoborgogna.it Museo Borgogna]
* [http://www.museoborgogna.it Museo Borgogna]
* [http://www.tesorodelduomovc.it Museo del Tesoro del Duomo]
* [http://www.tesorodelduomovc.it Museo del Tesoro del Duomo]
Line 151: Line 259:
[[Category:Vercelli| ]]
[[Category:Vercelli| ]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Italy]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Italy]]
[[Category:21st-century attacks on synagogues and Jewish communal organizations]]
[[Category:21st-century attacks on Jewish institutions]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Piedmont]]

Latest revision as of 18:14, 6 November 2024

For the surname, see Vercelli (surname).
Vercelli
Vërsèj (Piedmontese)
Comune
Città di Vercelli
Piazza Cavour and the Torre dell’Angelo.
Piazza Cavour and the Torre dell’Angelo.
Coat of arms of Vercelli
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Potius mori quam foedari
(roughly: "Death before dishonor")
Location of Vercelli
Map
Vercelli is located in Italy
Vercelli
Vercelli
Location of Vercelli in Italy
Vercelli is located in Piedmont
Vercelli
Vercelli
Vercelli (Piedmont)
Coordinates: 45°19′32″N 08°25′23″E / 45.32556°N 8.42306°E / 45.32556; 8.42306
CountryItaly
RegionPiedmont
ProvinceVercelli (VC)
FrazioniBrarola, Cappuccini, Larizzate, Bivio Sesia, Boarone, Campora, Canton Biliemme, Carengo, Cascina Mostioli, Cascine Strà, Cominetti, Montonero
Government
 • MayorAndrea Corsaro (FI)
Area
[1]
 • Total
79.77 km2 (30.80 sq mi)
Elevation
130 m (430 ft)
Population
 (1-1-2021)[2]
 • Total
45,875
 • Density580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
DemonymVercellese(i)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
13100
Dialing code0161
Patron saintEusebius of Vercelli
Saint dayAugust 1
WebsiteOfficial website

Vercelli (Italian pronunciation: [verˈtʃɛlli] ⓘ; Piedmontese: Vërsèj pronounced [vərˈsɛj]) is a city and comune of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around 600 BC.

The city is situated on the Sesia River in the plain of the Po River between Milan and Turin. It is an important centre for the cultivation of rice and is surrounded by rice paddies, which are flooded in the summer. The climate is typical of the Po Valley with cold, foggy winters (0.4 °C (33 °F) in January) and oppressive heat during the summer months (23.45 °C or 74 °F in July). Rainfall is most prevalent during the spring and autumn; thunderstorms are common in the summer.

The languages spoken in Vercelli are Italian and Piedmontese; the variety of Piedmontese native to the city is called Varsleis.

The world's first university funded by public money was established in Vercelli in 1228 (the seventh university founded in Italy), but was closed in 1372. Today it has a university of literature and philosophy as a part of the Università del Piemonte Orientale and a satellite campus of the Politecnico di Torino.

History

[edit]

Vercellae (or Vercelum) was the capital of the Libici or Lebecili, a Ligurian tribe; it became an important municipium, near which Gaius Marius defeated the Cimbri and the Teutones in the Battle of Vercellae in 101 BC.

The imperial magister militum Flavius Stilicho annihilated the Goths there 500 years later. It was half-ruined in St. Jerome's time (olim potens, nunc raro habitatore semiruta (1, 3.1)). After the Lombard invasion it belonged to the Duchy of Ivrea. From 885 it was under the jurisdiction of the prince-bishop, who was a Count of the Empire.

It became an independent commune in 1120 and joined the first and second Lombard leagues. Its statutes are among the most interesting of those of the medieval republics. In 1197 they abolished the servitude of the glebe. In 1228 the University of Pavia was transferred to Vercelli, where it remained until the fourteenth century, but without gaining much prominence; only a university school of law has been maintained.

In 1307, Fra Dolcino, the leader of the Dulcinians, was tortured and burned at the stake.

During the troubles of the 13th century, it fell into the power of the Della Torre of Milan (1263), of the Marquesses of Monferrato (1277), who appointed Matteo I Visconti captain (1290–1299). The Tizzoni (Ghibellines) and Avogadri (Guelphs) disputed the city from 1301 to 1334. The Guelphs were expelled several times, enabling the Marquess of Monferrato to take Vercelli (1328), which voluntarily placed itself under the Viscount of Milan in 1334. In 1373, Bishop Giovanni Fieschi expelled the Visconti, but Matteo reconquered the city. Facino Cane (1402), profiting by the strife between Giovanni Maria and Filippo Maria Visconti, took Vercelli, but was driven out by Theodore II of Montferrat (1404), from whom the city passed to the dukes of Savoy (1427).

In 1499 and 1553 Vercelli was captured by the French, and in 1616 and 1678 by the Spaniards. In 1704 it sustained an energetic siege by the French, who failed to destroy the fortress, after which it shared the fortunes of Savoy. In 1821 Vercelli rose in favour of the Constitution.

Government

[edit]
See also: List of mayors of Vercelli

Main sights

[edit]

Vercelli is home to numerous relics of the Roman period, e.g. an amphitheatre, hippodrome, sarcophagi, and many important inscriptions, some of which are Christian.

There are seven noteworthy towers in the town, the most important are the Torre dell’Angelo, which rears up over the old market square, and the Torre di Città in Via Gioberti.

St. Andrew's Basilica.

Vercelli Cathedral, formerly adorned with precious pillars and mosaics, was erected and enlarged by Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, to whom it was dedicated after his death. It was remodelled as of the ninth century and radically changed in the eighteenth by Count Alfieri. Like the other churches in the city, it contains valuable paintings, especially those of Gaudenzio Ferrari, Gerolamo Giovenone and Bernardino Lanino, who were natives of Vercelli.

The cathedral's Capitulary Library contains valuable manuscripts. Its religious texts include the Codex Vercellensis, an evangeliarium of the fourth century; hagiographical manuscripts, not all of which have been critically examined; and a very old copy of the Imitation of Christ, which is relied upon as an argument for attributing the authorship to John Gersen. Its secular texts include the Novels of Justinian; and the 8th-century Leges Langobardorum (Laws of the Lombards - Germanic). Finally, it contains the famous Vercelli Book — an Old English manuscript which includes the celebrated alliterative poem The Dream of the Rood. The civil archives are not less important and contain documents dating from 882.

The Basilica di Sant'Andrea was erected by Cardinal Guala Bicchieri in 1219. Together with the old Cistercian monastery, it is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved Romanesque monuments in Italy. Among other noteworthy churches in the city is the Santa Maria Maggiore.

Vercelli's synagogue, an example of Moorish Revival architecture, is located at Via Foà 70 and the city's Jewish cemetery at Corso Randaccio 24.[3] On 23 November 2013, after what was believed to be an antisemitic act, two swastikas were found sprayed on its walls.[4]

The Institute of the Beaux-Arts contains paintings by Vercellese artists.

Ancient charitable institutions continue, such as the hospital founded by Cardinal Guala Bicchieri (1224), which has an annual revenue of more than 600,000 lire ($117,000); and the hospices for orphan girls (1553) and for boys (1542), and mendicant homes.

Vercelli is the seat of the Viotti International Music Competition.

Demographics

[edit]

In 2007, 44,475 people were recorded as residing in Vercelli, of whom 47.3% were male and 52.7% were female. Minors (children aged 18 and younger) totalled 14.41% of the population and pensioners 25.83%; the overall national averages are, respectively, 18.06% and 19.94%. The average age of a Vercelli resident was 47 (five years more than the national average of 42) and the birth rate was 8.69 births per 1,000 inhabitants (national average of 9.45 births per 1,000 inhabitants). In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Vercelli declined by 1.31% while the national population grew by 3.56%.[5]

As of 2006, 92.38% of the population was Italian. The remainder were Albanian and Romanian (3.48%), North African (2.21%) and Sub-Saharan (0.64%). Approximately 1 in 6 babies born in Vercelli has at least one foreign parent.[6]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
186125,103—    
187127,101+8.0%
188129,244+7.9%
190130,470+4.2%
191131,926+4.8%
192132,159+0.7%
193138,581+20.0%
193638,956+1.0%
YearPop.±%
195142,159+8.2%
196150,907+20.8%
197156,494+11.0%
198152,488−7.1%
199149,458−5.8%
200145,132−8.7%
201146,308+2.6%
202145,176−2.4%
Source: ISTAT

Museums

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]
See also: Category:People from Vercelli
Giovanni Antonio Bazzi

Sport

[edit]
Virginio Rosetta, 1932

Cuisine

[edit]

The typical dish is rice with beans, called panissa (made with Arborio, Baldo or Maratelli rice), the tartufata (cake) and the bicciolani a type of biscuit. The typical wine is Gattinara DOCG, a classic red wine of Piedmont made principally from the nebbiolo grape (known locally as spanna) from the comune of Gattinara, where there is archaeological evidence of vines being grown in Roman times.

Sport

[edit]

Unione Sportiva Pro Vercelli was one of the most successful football clubs in Italy in the early 20th century, winning the national championship seven times between 1908 and 1922. However, in the summer of 2010, it was not admitted to the league due to heavy debt.

A.S. Pro Belvedere Vercelli continued the history of the club and changed its name to F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892. Currently, it plays in Serie C.

Twin towns

[edit]

Climate

[edit]
Climate data for Vercelli (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.2
(45.0) 		10.1
(50.2) 		15.3
(59.5) 		19.0
(66.2) 		23.2
(73.8) 		27.5
(81.5) 		29.4
(84.9) 		28.6
(83.5) 		24.2
(75.6) 		18.2
(64.8) 		11.9
(53.4) 		7.4
(45.3) 		18.5
(65.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.7
(36.9) 		4.5
(40.1) 		8.9
(48.0) 		13.4
(56.1) 		17.9
(64.2) 		21.9
(71.4) 		23.5
(74.3) 		22.6
(72.7) 		18.2
(64.8) 		13.1
(55.6) 		7.7
(45.9) 		3.2
(37.8) 		13.1
(55.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6) 		−1.2
(29.8) 		2.5
(36.5) 		7.9
(46.2) 		12.7
(54.9) 		16.3
(61.3) 		17.6
(63.7) 		16.7
(62.1) 		12.1
(53.8) 		8.0
(46.4) 		3.4
(38.1) 		−0.9
(30.4) 		7.8
(46.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 45.4
(1.79) 		50.4
(1.98) 		52.5
(2.07) 		84.0
(3.31) 		96.7
(3.81) 		60.7
(2.39) 		55.4
(2.18) 		66.7
(2.63) 		80.3
(3.16) 		76.5
(3.01) 		116.1
(4.57) 		56.7
(2.23) 		841.4
(33.13)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 5.0 4.2 4.5 7.7 8.5 6.0 4.9 5.8 5.8 7.0 8.1 5.1 72.6
Source: Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale[9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Jewish Cemeteries". Chabad Travel Guide. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Vercelli, svastiche sul cimitero ebraico L'incursione è stata compiuta nella notte". L'UNIONE SARDA.it. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT (2002)". demo.istat.it.
    "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT (2007)". demo.istat.it.
  6. ^ "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT (2006)". demo.istat.it. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Museo Leone Vercelli | Home". www.museoleone.it.
  8. ^ Rossetti, William Michael (1911). "Sodoma, Il" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). p. 343.
  9. ^ "Valori climatici normali in Italia". Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vercelli.
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