Varmondo was born around the year 930 and belonged to the noble Vercelli family of the Arborei lords from Gattinara; he studies as a judge, while managing the Emperor’s properties. He is appointed Bishop of Ivrea in 969. People think that he erected Saint Maria’s Cathedral, rebuilt probably on a preexisting Church of IV century. Besides he set up, a scriptorium from which important manuscripts have been preserved. Varmondo became the protagonist of Eporedian story around the year 1100, when he wanted to compete with Arduino, Marquis of Ivrea, for the feudal privileges on the territory over which he was the Spiritual Leader.

Infact he succeeded in obtaining from Emperor Ottone III some immunities, that is: administering justice, enlisting people and collecting tributes, for up to three miles from the city of Ivrea. To prevent Arduino from not accepting these imperial grants, Varmondo publicly threatened him with excommunication in a speech held in the Cathedral: "Dear Brothers, may Your Charity know that someone whose name is Arduino isn’t afraid of robbing God’s Vineyard, that is the Church; oppressing and killing Christ’s poor, robbing their substances Fulfilling, therefore, the Divine and Apostolic Rules, this rotten member incurable, we’ll cut him off the body of the Church, with the weapon of the excommunication and of a terrible curse".