 In 972, the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I granted the "dominium" of the town of Novara and twenty-four miles surrounding the town to Bishop Aupaldo and his successors, the Bishops of Novara.The bishops therefore enjoyed the title of Count as well as the same rights as a Count of the Empire.Of the 345 parishes, one is in the Lombard province of Pavia, while rest are divided between the Piedmontese provinces of Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli.