Biella Cathedral was built from 1402 to the 19th century on the site of a former 11th-century church. The cathedral was inaugurated in 1402 to honour a vow made by the population following the plague of 1399. In 1772 Santa Maria Maggiore was chosen as the cathedral of the new diocese of Biella and was completely restructured in the neo-gothic style by Ignazio Antonio Giulio.
Little is known about the origins of the Basilica of St. Giulio. Recent excavations, however, have shown that a building was already there in the 4th and 5th centuries. The site is supposedly the place of death of Julius of Novara (Gulio di Orta), a missionary priest who converted northern Italy. Among other buildings on the island, the church, due to its antiquity, displays an interesting mix of styles ranging from Romanesque to Baroque.
The present building of Vercelli Cathedral was built on the site of a church building dating back to the 4th century. In the second half of the 16th century, Pellegrino Tibaldi, redesigned the building, destroying what was left of the medieval church, including the choir and the presbytery; it was redefined with the construction of chapels on the sides, and new naves, these works were completed in the 18th century.
The Ashkenazi Synagogue in Vercelli was built in 1878 by architect Marco Treves. This Neo-Moorish brick building still serves as a synagogue.
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