La Valsesia napoleonica: confine di Stato e confine di diocesi

[Machine translation] The French myth of the 'natural border' developed to excess led in September 1800 to the division of Valsesia in two, along its entire length, thus abruptly interrupting both the centuries-old administrative unit and the peculiar self-government of the valley. A valley “territorially disrupted” by an “absurd” and “unfortunate” border: in the middle and upper valley, the border between the French Republic and the Cisalpine Republic was not in fact drawn on the mountain ridge, as would have been logical in an orographic situation such as that of the Valsesian territory, but rather along the course of the Sesia. The reorganization of the civil administration also had consequences in the articulation of the diocesan districting. Historically, Valsesia had always been part of the diocese of Novara. With the establishment of the department of Agogna and the simultaneous union of its territory with the Cisalpine Republic, the bishop of Vercelli was called to temporarily exercise his jurisdiction on the right bank since 1800-01. This passage was further formalized with the decree of Cardinal Caprara of 25 January 1805, which reorganized the entire Piedmontese church structure. However, in the new dismembered communities there were no churches, parishes, cemeteries: this created a confused and complex situation that lasted until the Restoration.