VERDIANA, saint—S. V. among two serpents, symbols of the tempting devil; panel painting formerly attributed to Duccio di Boninsegna (14th century)—Castelfiorentino, church of S. Verdiana.
The monk Lorenzo of the same abbey continued it until 1144; others extended it to the middle of the 13th century. Another list in a manuscript at Amiens reaches as far as Bishop Richerio (1089–1107). The first bishop, Santino, would date from approximately the middle of the 4th century, followed by Mauro, Salvino, Aratore, Policronio, and Possessore. Firmino, whose tomb was discovered at St-Vanne, would have lived in the time of Clovis; then came Vito; Desiderato, who suffered under King Theodoric I (511–34) and attended the Councils of Auvergne in 535 and Orléans in 549; Agerico, mentioned by Gregory of Tours (Hist. Franc., III, 34, 39) from 584 to 588; Arimero, who was present at the Council of Paris in 614; Ermenfrido, also called Godo, who attended the Council of Clichy in 627; Paolo (619–36), deposed in S. Saturnino: his biography dates from the 10th century. He was followed by Gisecarlo
(648–75); Armonio; Peppone in the time of Charles Martel; Madelveo, who visited the Holy Places (762–75); Pietro, of Italian origin, sent to Rome by Charlemagne in 781 and died in 806. Anstranno and Frilando are buried at St-Vanne; Ildino attended the Council of Mainz in 839 and died in 847. Attone (847–70) received from Lothair II the abbey of Echternach, which he retained until 864; in 859 he attended the Council of Savonnières, in 860 that of Koblenz, and in 862 that of Tousey. Berenardo (870–79) attended the Council of Attigny in 870 and that of Douzy in 871, the dedication of Cologne Cathedral in 873, and the Council of Ponthion in 876. Daolo was bishop from 880.
The cathedral of Notre-Dame dates from the 11th century but was altered several times, especially after the 1914–18 war; during the restoration work, the remains of the various earlier structures, repeatedly devastated by fires, were identified. The Romanesque building, begun in 1048, continued until 1083 on the initiative of Theodoric the Great, who took his inspiration from the Rhenish Romanesque buildings (especially those of Mainz, Speyer, and Worms), with double apses and towers. After a halt caused by the depredations suffered by the region, construction continued under Bishop Alberone of Cluny (1132–52), through the work of the architect Garino, who was also responsible for the crypt; the Basilica was consecrated by Pope Eugene III on 11 November 1147, with s. Bernard present. In 1250 the eastern apse and the room called « il sacrario » were added. The vault of the central nave dates from 1378, when the eastern apse was raised. Between 1390 and 1530 the side chapels were added. Between 1509 and 1515 the Gothic cloister was built. Following damage caused by lightning, many modifications were made in 1755. Agerico, bishop of V., not only restored the ancient churches but, as Fortunatus attests, also erected others.
The b. Pius X in 1906 granted the bishops of V. pallium. Pius XII, by an apostolic letter dated 8 September 1947, elevated the Cathedral to the dignity of a minor basilica (AAS, 41 [1949], pp. 490–92).