Roman Catholic Diocese of Vigevano
The Italian Catholic Diocese of Vigevano () lies almost entirely in the Province of Pavia, Lombardy. It has existed since 1530. The diocese is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan, having been suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli until 9 April 1578. History. 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. In the next period it was a Ghibelline commune, and was accordingly besieged and taken by the Milanese in 1201 and again in 1275. 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. 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. 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. 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