Roman Catholic Diocese of Vigevano

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The earliest notices of Vigevano date from the tenth century, when it was favoured as a residence by King Arduin of Ivrea (1002–1014) for hunting.^[4] In the next period it was a Ghibelline commune, and was accordingly besieged and taken by the Milanese in 1201 and again in 1275.^[5] In 1328 it surrendered to Azzone Visconti, and thereafter shared the political fortunes of Milan. In the last years of the Visconti domination it sustained a siege by Francesco Sforza.

At the end of September 1418, Pope Martin V visited Vigevano and a number of other cities of Lombardy during his trip from Konstanz to Rome.^[6]

Until 1530 the town belonged to the Diocese of Novara, and its principal church, San Ambrogio, was staffed by a Chapter composed of a Provost and seven Canons.^[7] Duke Francesco II Sforza of Milan procured the erection of the see and provided its revenues. The diocese was created by Pope Clement VII in the bull "Ex eminenti" of 17 March 1529.^[8]

The first bishop was Galeazzo Pietra, succeeded by his nephew Maurizio Pietra (1552); both of these promoted the Tridentine reforms, and the work was continued by their successors. Marsilio Landriani (1594) distinguished himself in various nunciatures and founded a Barnabite college for the education of young men. Giorgio Odescalchi (1610) was a very zealous pastor; the process of his beatification has been commenced. Giovanni Caramuel Lobkowitz (1675) was an example of pastoral activity and the author of many works, philosophical, theological, ascetical etc., though his Theologia fundamentalis was censured.^[9] Pier Marino Sonnani (1688), a Franciscan, who enlarged the seminary and maintained a struggle against the spread of the doctrines of Miguel Molinos.^[10]

With the Treaty of Worms (1743) the diocese became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.^[11]

All cathedral chapters and collegiate church chapters were abolished by the French Occupation government on 28 March 1801. It was restored by N. Bonaparte, Emperor of the French and King of Italy (1805–1814) in 1805.^[12]

From 1802 until May 1805, Vigevano was a constituent element of the Italian Republic, of which Napoleon was the president. It was a District in the Department of Agogna, with its capital at Novara. A concordat with the papacy was signed on 16 September 1803.^[13] In Article II, §4 of the Concordat, Vigevano was assigned to the metropolitanate of Milan. In Article XV, §17, the suppression of ecclesiastical foundations without the consent of the Holy See was forbidden.

Bishop Nicola Saverio Gamboni of the diocese of Capri was appointed to the see by Napoleon in 1805, but he was refused his bulls of transfer and institution by Pope Pius VII. He was therefore only the Administrator of the temporalities of the diocese.

In 1817, after the agreements at the Congress of Vienna, which returned the Kingdom of Sardinia to the House of Savoy after French occupation, the diocese of Vigevano received an addition to its territory.^[14]

Of the 87 parishes 86 are located, like Vigevano, within the Province of Pavia in Lombardy. The exception is S. Silvano Martire which is within the commune of Sozzago in the Piedmontese province of Novara.^[57] In 2014 there was one priest for every 1,682 Catholics.^{[needs update]}