The Italian Catholic Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa ( la, Dioecesis Melphiensis-Rapollensis-Venusina, it, Diocesi di Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa) is in

Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

, southern Italy. In 1986 the historic Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla was united with the

Diocese of Venosa The Italian Catholic diocese of Venosa, in southern Italy, existed until 1986. In that year it was united into the Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa. From 1976 to 1986, Venosa had been a suffragan of the archdiocese of Potenza e Marsico Nuovo. H ...

. The diocese is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

of the

Archdiocese of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo The Archdiocese of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo ( la, Archidioecesis Potentina-Murana-Marsicensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Basilicata, southern Italy, created in 1986. In that year the Diocese of Muro Lucano was unit ...

."Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa"
''

Catholic-Hierarchy.org ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. The website is not officially sanctioned by the Church. It is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in ...

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 29, 2016"Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa"
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved March 29, 2016 The Abbey of the Santissima Trinità at

Venosa Venosa ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, in the Vulture area. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Ginestra, Lavello, Maschito, Montemilone, Palazzo San Gervasio, ...

comes under the Diocese.

History

On 23 August 1059,

Pope Nicholas II Pope Nicholas II ( la, Nicholaus II; c. 990/995 – 27 July 1061), otherwise known as Gerard of Burgundy, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1059 until his death in 27 July 1061. At the time of his ...

(1059–1061) held a council in Melphi, with more than one hundred bishops in attendance. In the council, he deposed the bishop of Montepeloso for simony and adultery; the bishop of Tricarico for being underage; Bishop Johannes of Trani; and the Bishop of Ascoli Puglia. He also invested

Robert Guiscard Robert Guiscard (; Modern ; – 17 July 1085) was a Norman adventurer remembered for the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily. Robert was born into the Hauteville family in Normandy, went on to become count and then duke of Apulia and Calabri ...

as duke of Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily. The pope made the diocese of

Melfi Melfi (Neapolitan language, Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Geographically, it is midway between Naples and Bari. In 2015 it had a population of 17,7 ...

immediately dependent on the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

; its first bishop was Baldwin. Its cathedral, a work of

Roger Borsa Roger Borsa (1060/1061 – 22 February 1111) was the Norman Duke of Apulia and Calabria and effective ruler of southern Italy from 1085 until his death. Life Roger was the son of Robert Guiscard and Sikelgaita, a Lombard noblewoman. His ambiti ...

, son of

(1155), was destroyed by the earthquake of 1851. The second council to be held at Melfi was presided over by Pope Alexander II (1067–1073) in 1067, during the episcopacy of Bishop Balduinus. Guillaume, the son of Tancred, was excommunicated, along with his soldiers, for having conquered Salerno. Bishop Balduinus was later suspended from his episcopal office by Pope Alexander, but was restored in March 1076, after due penance for his excesses, by

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

. In September 1089,

Pope Urban II Pope Urban II ( la, Urbanus II; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening th ...

(1088-1099) held his first council at Melfi. It legislated against simony and against clerical marriage. The Norman Roger Borsa took an oath of fealty to Pope Urban, who invested him with the duchy of Apulia and Salerno.

Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...

confirmed, in a bull of 29 September 1101 (''Per Apostoli Petri''), the privilege granted to the bishops of Melfi of being consecrated by the Roman pontiff. In 1528, Clement VII, in view of the scarcity of its revenues, united the

Diocese of Rapolla The Catholic diocese of Rapolla, in Basilicata, existed from the eleventh century until 1528. In that year it was united with the diocese of Melfi, to form the diocese of Melfi e Rapolla.aeque principaliter ''Aeque principaliter'' ("equally important") is a Latin term used by the Roman Catholic Church to indicate a merger of two or more dioceses in which – to avoid questions of predominance – the dioceses are all given equal importance. Such a ...

". Bishop Lazzaro Carafino (1622–1626) held a diocesan synod in Melfi in 1624. Bishop Deodato Scaglia (1626–1644) presided over a diocesan synod of Melfi and Rapolla in 1635. A diocesan synod was held in Melfi on 11–13 October 1725 by Bishop Mondilio Orsini (1724 –1728).

Diocesan reorganization

The

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

(1962–1965), in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses. It also recommended the abolition of anomalous units such as exempt territorial prelatures. These considerations applied to Melfi and to Rapolla, as the population migrated in the post-war period away from agriculture to jobs on the coast. On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed a new and revised concordat. Based on the revisions, a set of ''Normae'' was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, ''aeque personaliter'', was abolished. Instead, the Vatican continued consultations which had begun under

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese. On 30 September 1986,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

ordered that the dioceses of Melfi, Rapallo, and Venosa be merged into one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title ''Dioecesis Melphiensis-Rapollensis-Venusina''. The seat of the diocese was to be in Melphi, and the cathedral of Melfi was to serve as the cathedral of the merged dioceses. The cathedrals in Rapolla and Venosa were to become co-cathedrals, and the cathedral Chapters were each to be a ''Capitulum Concathedralis''. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Melfi, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the former dioceses of Melphi, Rapolla, and Venosa. On 11 February 1973,

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

had promoted the diocese of Potenza e Marsico Nuovo to the status of an archdiocese, and made it immediately subject to the papacy, rather than to some other archdiocese in the regions of Basilicata or Lucania. It had been suffragan to the archdiocese of Acerenza. The bishop was given the rank of archbishop, and granted the right to use the processional cross and the ''

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolit ...

''. The diocese of Melphi-Rapolla-Venosa was made a suffragan of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo.

Chapter and cathedral

The cathedral of Melfi, dedicated to the Taking Up of the Body of the Virgin Mary into Heaven (Assumption), was administered by a Chapter, composed of four dignities (the Cantor, the Primicerius, the Treasurer, and the Vice-Cantor) and sixteen canons. In 1748, there were four dignities and twenty-two canons. The cathedral Chapter of Rapolla had three dignities and five canons. In 1764, Venosa had a population of about 4,000 persons. Its cathedral, dedicated to S. Andrew, had a Chapter composed of four dignities and twenty canons. When Venosa became united to the diocese of Melfi in 1986, it had a population of less than 34,000, with only twenty priests to serve them.

Bishops

Diocese of Melfi

*Balduin (1059–1093) :... *Radulfus (attested 1177–1179) :... *Jacobus (attested 1183–1185) *Guillelmus (attested 1193–1199) :... *Jacobus *R(---) (attested 1204?–1213) *Richerius (attested 1218–1232) :... :''Sede vacante'' (1239–1240) :... *Rogerius de Lentino (1252) :... *Garnerus de Villari-Bello (1266) ''Bishop-elect) *Francesco de Monaldeschis (attested 1278–1280) *Sinibaldo, O.Min. (1280–1295) *Saracenus (1295–1316) *Constantinus of Reggio (1317-1324) *Guillelmus (1324–1326) * Alexander of San Elpidio (1326) *Monaldus Monaldi, O.Min. (1326–1331) *Jacobus (1331–1347) *Petrus (1347–1348) *Joannes *Nicolaus (1349) *Nicolaus Caracciolo (1349–1362) *Antonius *Pandulfus *Franciscus (1369– ) *Elias (1384– ) ''Avignon Obedience'' *Nicolaus ''Avignon Obedience'' *Jacobus (1382– ) ''Roman Obedience'' *Antonius de Samudia (1384– ) ''Roman Obedience'' *

Giovanni Dominici Giovanni Dominici ( 1355 – 10 June 1419) was an Italian Catholic prelate and Dominican who became a cardinal. His ideas had a profound influence on the art of Fra Angelico who entered the order through him. But he once encountered difficulties ...

, O.P. (2 Mar 1412 –1412) * Francesco Carosio (4 Jul 1412 –1418) * Giacomo Isolani (1420 – 24 Jan 1425 Resigned) * Francesco Palombo,

O.S.B. , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

(12 Dec 1431 – 1437 Died) *

Onofrio di Francesco di Sanseverino Onofrio is an Italian surname derived from Onuphrius. Notable people with the surname include: *Vincent D'Onofrio *Al Onofrio *Beverly Donofrio *Elizabeth D'Onofrio *Francesco Onofrio Manfredini *Marco Onofrio See also *Sant'Onofrio (disambiguatio ...

(11 Jan 1437 – 1450 Died) * Alfonso Costa (4 Sep 1450 Appointed – ) * Gaspare Loffredi (17 Apr 1472 – 1480 Died) * Ottaviano Bentivoglio (15 Dec 1480 – 1486) * Francesco Caracciolo (bishop) (Carazoli) (24 Jun 1486 – 1494 Died) *

Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el menor Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní the Younger (Spanish language, Sp.: ''Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el menor'') (1470–1500) (called the Cardinal of Santa Maria in Via Lata, the Cardinal of Valencia, or Cardinal Borgia) was a Spanish people, S ...

(September 19, 1494/December 3, 1498 – August 1, 1503) *

Jean Ferrier I Jean Ferrier or Juan Ferrer (died 1521) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Arles (1499–1521) and Bishop of Melfi (1498–1499).

(3 Dec 1498 – 1499) * Raffaele di Ceva, O.F.M. (26 Jul 1499 – 1513 Resigned) *

Lorenzo Pucci Lorenzo Pucci (18 August 1458 – 16 September 1531) was an Italian cardinal and bishop from the Florentine Pucci family. His brother Roberto Pucci and his nephew Antonio Pucci also became cardinals. Biography Pucci was born in Florence. He b ...

(12 Aug 1513 – 16 Mar 1528 Resigned)

Diocese of Melfi e Rapolla

''Latin Name: Melphiensis et Rapollensis''
''United: 16 May 1528 with

Giovanni Vincenzo Acquaviva d'Aragona Giovanni Vincenzo Acquaviva d'Aragona (born between 1490 and 1495 in Naples in Italy, died 16 August 1546 in Itri) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He became bishop of Melfi and Rapolla in 1537. Life Belonging to an illustrious ...

(7 Feb 1537 – 16 Aug 1546 Died) *

Roberto Pucci Roberto Pucci (Florence, 1463 – Rome, 17 January 1547) was an Italian cardinal from the Florentine noble family of the Pucci. Life One of the Medici's keenest supporters, he nevertheless advised Pope Clement VII against starting the siege of Fl ...

(7 Dec 1546 – 17 Jan 1547 Died) *

Mario Ruffino is a character (arts), character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in ...

(7 Feb 1547 – 1548 Died) * Alessandro Ruffino (27 Apr 1548 – 1573 Resigned) *

Gaspare Cenci Gaspare Cenci was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Melfi e Rapolla (1574–1590). ''(in Latin)''

(8 Jan 1574 – 1590 Resigned)"Bishop Gaspare Cenci"
''

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 21, 2016 * Orazio Celsi (16 Jul 1590 – 1591 Died) * Marco Antonio Amidano (13 Sep 1591 – Nov 1591 Resigned) *

Matteo Brumani Matteo is the Italian form of the given name Matthew. Another form is Mattia. The Hebrew meaning of Matteo is "gift of god". Matteo can also be used as a patronymic surname, often in the forms of de Matteo, De Matteo or DeMatteo, meaning " escen ...

, O.S.A. (13 Nov 1591 – 9 Aug 1594 Died) * Placido della Marra (6 Mar 1595 – 2 Dec 1620 Died)Gauchat, ''Hierarchia catholica'' IV, p. 238. *

Desiderio Scaglia Desiderio Scaglia (1567 – 21 August 1639), also known as the ''Cardinal of Cremona'', was an Italian cardinal and bishop. He was a relative of cardinals Girolamo Bernerio, Scipione Cobelluzzi and Francesco Cennini de' Salamandri and was a membe ...

, O.P. (17 Mar 1621 – 14 Nov 1622 Appointed,

Bishop of Como The Diocese of Como ( la, Dioecesis Comensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It was established in the Fourth Century. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of ...

) * Lazzaro Carafino (19 Dec 1622 – 7 Jan 1626 Appointed,

) * Deodato Scaglia, O.P. (19 Jan 1626 – 18 Apr 1644 Appointed,

Bishop of Alessandria The Diocese of Alessandria ( la, Dioecesis Alexandrina Statiellorum) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Piedmont, northern Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli.Giacomo Raimondi (2 May 1644 – Dec 1644 Died) * Gerolamo Pellegrini (16 Jan 1645 – 12 Apr 1648 Died) *

Luigi Branciforte Luigi Branciforte (died 1665) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Melfi e Rapolla (1648–1665). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Luigi Branciforte was born in Palermo, Italy. On 28 Sep 1648, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope I ...

(28 Sep 1648 – 1665 Died) * Giulio Caracciolo, C.R. (1 Mar 1666 – 1671 Resigned) *

Tommaso de Franchi Tommaso de Franchi (1626–1696) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Melfi e Rapolla (1671–1696). ''(in Latin)''Doctor in utroque iure A doctor of both laws, from the Latin ''doctor utriusque juris'', or ''juris utriusque doctor'', or ''doctor juris utriusque'' ("doctor of both laws") (abbreviations include: JUD, IUD, DUJ, JUDr., DUI, DJU, Dr.iur.utr., Dr.jur.utr., DIU, UJD a ...

'' from the University of Genoa (1644). He was appointed bishop of Melfi by

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X ( la, Clemens X; it, Clemente X; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death in July 1676. Elected pope at ag ...

on 24 August 1671. He died in May 1696. Ritzler and Sefrin V, p. 264 with note 3. * Francesco Antonio Triveri,

O.F.M. Conv. The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) is a male religious fraternity in the Roman Catholic Church that is a branch of the Franciscans. The friars in OFM CONV are also known as Conventual Franciscans, or Minorites. Dating back to ...

(24 Sep 1696 – May 1697 Died) *

Antonio Spinelli Antonio Spinelli, C.R. (1657 – October 1724) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Melfi e Rapolla (1697–1724). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Antonio Spinelli was born in Aquaro Feudo, Italy in 1657 and ordained a priest in t ...

, C.R. (2 Dec 1697 – Oct 1724 Died) *Mondilio Orsini, C.O. (20 Nov 1724 – 8 Mar 1728 Appointed,

Archbishop of Capua The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capua ( la, Archidioecesis Capuana) is an archdiocese (originally a suffragan bishopric) of the Roman Catholic Church in Capua, in Campania, Italy, but its archbishop no longer holds metropolitan rank and has no ...

) *Giovanni Saverio Lioni (22 Nov 1730 – 5 Mar 1735 Died) *Domenico Rossi (Rosso e Colonna),

O.S.B. , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

(26 Sep 1735 – 8 Jul 1737 Appointed,

Archbishop of Palermo The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo ( la, Archidioecesis Panormitana) was founded as the Diocese of Palermo in the first century and raised to the status of archdiocese in the 11th century.O.S.B. , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

(14 Apr 1766 – 19 Jun 1780 Died) *Filippo d’Aprile (27 Feb 1792 – Apr 1811 Died) *Gioacchino de Gemmis (26 Jun 1818 – 12 Dec 1822 Died) *Vincenzo Ferrari, O.P. (3 May 1824 – 4 May 1828 Died) *Luigi Bovio,

O.S.B. , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

(18 May 1829 – 6 Nov 1847 Died) *Ignazio Maria Selitti (5 Nov 1849 – 1880 Resigned) *Giuseppe Camassa (4 Aug 1881 – 15 Apr 1912 Resigned) *Alberto Costa (4 Jan 1912 – 7 Dec 1928 Appointed,

Bishop of Lecce The Archdiocese of Lecce ( la, Archidioecesis Lyciensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Apulia, southern Italy. The diocese has existed since the 11th century. On 28 September 1960, in the bull ...

) *Luigi dell’Aversana (Orabona) (29 Jul 1930 – 6 Nov 1934 Died) *Domenico Petroni (1 Apr 1935 – 5 Oct 1966 Retired) *Giuseppe Vairo (5 Mar 1973 – 25 Oct 1976 Appointed,

Bishop of Tricarico The Italian Catholic Diocese of Tricarico ( la, Dioecesis Tricaricensis) is in Basilicata. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo.Bishop of Oria The Italian Catholic Diocese of Oria ( la, Dioecesis Uritana) is in Apulia. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Taranto.Vincenzo Cozzi (12 Sep 1981 – 13 Dec 2002 Retired)

Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa

''Latin Name: Dioecesis Melphiensis-Rapollensis-Venusinus''
''United: 30 September 1986 with

'' * Gianfranco Todisco, P.O.C.R. (13 Dec 2002 – 21 Apr 2017 Resigned) *Ciro Fanelli (4 Aug 2017 –)