DUOMO DI VERCELLI
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Cathedral with a Romanesque crucifix from the 10th century plated in silver.
Vercelli Cathedral has undergone several modifications over the ages. Construction began in the mid-14th century, at the behest of Sant'Eusebio, Bishop of Vercelli and Piedmont, on the foundations of an earlier 6th-century Paleo-Christian church. In the 18thcentury , based on a project by Benedetto Alfieri, the atrium and façade were built, and in the 19th century the statues of the Saviour and the Apostles were added, which now decorate the attic. Finally, in 1860, the dome was raised. All that remains of the former basilica is the red-brick campanile.
The Duomo's architectural interest may seem relative, but within its walls it houses a true masterpiece: a 10th-century Romanesque crucifix plated in silver, whose size (the arm of the cross measures 3.25 m) makes it one of the largest surviving crucifixes of its kind. The body of Christ, finely chiseled and crafted, presents a plastic rendering that is truly admirable for its time. The work on the beard and hair is of the utmost finesse, while the highly expressive gaze bears witness to divine mercy through the large, wide-set eyes. Surrounding the body are the Ascension with the Sun and Moon, the Virgin Mary and St. John, Christ's descent into Limbo to extricate Adam and Eve, and, at the very bottom, the image of the donor, who financed this work, presented to a saint by an angel.
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