The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of L'Aquila ( la, Archidioecesis Aquilanus) is an ecclesiastical territory or
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
["Archdiocese of L’Aquila"]
''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 November 30, 2016.["Metropolitan Archdiocese of L’Aquila"]
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016. It was erected as the Diocese of Aquila on 20 February 1257 by
Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death in 1261.
Early career
He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne (now in the Province of Rome), he ...
and promoted to an archdiocese by
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
on 19 January 1876.
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 ...
elevated it to the rank of a
metropolitan archdiocese
A metropolis religious jurisdiction, or a metropolitan archdiocese, is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces.
...
on 15 August 1972, with the
suffragan sees of
Avezzano
Avezzano ( or ; nap, Avezzàne, label=Neapolitan language, Marsicano ) is a city and ''comune'' with a population of 40,819 inhabitants, situated in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila, Italy. It is the second most populous municipality in th ...
and
Sulmona–Valva.
The archdiocese's
mother church
Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metro ...
and the seat of its archbishop is the
Cattedrale di SS. Massimo e Giorgio. L'Aquila also contains the
Basilica of San Bernardino da Siena, which was granted the honorific title of
minor basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
, in an Apostolic Letter "Uberrimos Sane Gratiae" of 20 May 1946. It also contains the church of S. Maria di Collemagio, which was begun in 1283, and consecrated on 25 August 1288.
History
Bishop Berardus of Forcona was consecrated on 23 May 1252, by Cardinal Raynaldus dei Conti, who became
Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death in 1261.
Early career
He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne (now in the Province of Rome), he ...
on 12 December 1254. His diocese was having administrative problems.
Creation of city and diocese
On 6 May 1253, the population of Amiterno and Forcona petitioned the royal councillor Tfommaso da Marerio, to use his influence to have the construction of the new city of Aquilae to be undertaken. In May 1254,
Conrad IV
Conrad (25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was the only son of Emperor Frederick II from his second marriage with Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem. He inherited the title of King of Jerusalem (as Conrad II) up ...
, the son of
Frederick II, replied with a diploma authorizing the construction, and the destruction of all the castles and fortifications inside the boundaries of the city; free immigration to the new city was granted, so long as people indemnified their former feudal lords. He was frank about his motives. The creation of the city would disconcert the barons of the valley of Aquila who were neglectful of their feudal duties; it would intimidate the rebellious vassals of the Kingdom of Sicily; it would strengthen his northern border against his enemies, one of whom was the pope, who had excommunicated him and was refusing his offers for a peace.
Pope Alexander had obtained information from letters of
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254.
Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...
and of papal legates that the Chapter of the cathedral of Forcona was violation of canon law. On 15 March 1255, therefore, he wrote to the Archpriest Master Angelo, who was a papal chaplain, and the Chapter, pointing out that the number of canons exceeded the canonical upper limit. Some canons, appointed by special mandate of the Holy See, should only be admitted to the privileges of the canonicate when an existing canon resigned or died. Moreover, the appointees must be in Holy Orders.
On 22 December 1256, Pope Alexander IV wrote to the podestà, council, and commune of L'Aquila, who were requesting that, since the towns of
Forcona and
Amiternum
Amiternum was an ancient Sabine city, then Roman city and later bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see in the central Abruzzo region of modern Italy, located from L'Aquila. Amiternum was the birthplace of the historian Sallust (86 BC).
Histo ...
were almost completely deserted, to the advantage of L'Aquila, and since the people of L'Aquila had recently completely rebuilt the church of Ss. Maximus and George, it be made a cathedral by papal authority. Pope Alexander agreed to their request, after consultation with his advisors, and with the concurrence of Bishop Berardus and the Archpriest and canons of the (former) cathedral of Forcona, and transferred the seat of the bishops of Forcona to the cathedral of Ss. Maximus and George in L'Aquila. The same papal bull was reissued on 20 February 1257, with the addition of language delimiting the boundaries of the diocese.
In 1259, the city of Aquila was destroyed by the forces of
Manfred, King of Sicily
Manfred ( scn, Manfredi di Sicilia; 123226 February 1266) was the last King of Sicily from the Hohenstaufen dynasty, reigning from 1258 until his death. The natural son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, Manfred became regent over the ...
, and the people and their bishop retreated to Focaro.
Pope Clement IV
Pope Clement IV ( la, Clemens IV; 23 November 1190 – 29 November 1268), born Gui Foucois ( la, Guido Falcodius; french: Guy de Foulques or ') and also known as Guy le Gros ( French for "Guy the Fat"; it, Guido il Grosso), was bishop of Le P ...
(1265–1268) was not eager to see a city so associated with the Hohenstaufen determination to control the papacy; he therefore supported the local barons, and wrote, probably in 1265, to the new King of Sicily,
Charles of Anjou
Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and Forcalquier (1246–48, 1256–85) i ...
, that the barons were crying out for help against the reemergence of Aquila, and urging the king to take their side. Charles I, however, saw the same advantages as Conrad IV as King of Sicily, and he therefore promoted the reestablishment of Aquila. He was even called the "Reformator". His actions were made easier by the defeat and death of Manfred at the
Battle of Benevento
The Battle of Benevento was a major medieval battle fought on 26 February 1266, near Benevento in present-day Southern Italy, between the forces of Charles I of Anjou and those of King Manfred of Sicily. Manfred's defeat and death resulted in Ch ...
on 26 February 1266. Pope Clement gave in, and appointed a new bishop for Aquila on 31 December 1267.
Papal coronation
:
After
Pope Nicholas IV
Pope Nicholas IV ( la, Nicolaus IV; 30 September 1227 – 4 April 1292), born Girolamo Masci, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 February 1288 to his death on 4 April 1292. He was the first Franciscan to be ele ...
died on 6 April 1292, it was twenty-seven months before the eleven cardinals were able to assemble and agree upon his successor. On 5 July 1294, at Perugia, they elected the 85-year-old
Pietro del Murrone, a former Benedictine monk, who had established his own religious order, which came to be called the
Celestines
The Celestines were a Roman Catholic monastic order, a branch of the Benedictines, founded in 1244. At the foundation of the new rule, they were called Hermits of St Damiano, or Moronites (or Murronites), and did not assume the appellation of Ce ...
. He was not a cardinal, and had recently been living as a recluse in the mountains to the east of Aquila. He enjoyed the patronage and protection of Charles II of Sicily, and was unwilling to go to Perugia, or even to enter the Papal States.
Pietro came to Aquila on 28 July 1194. He was crowned on 29 August 1294, at the church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, which had been built and was administered by his followers.
On 18 September 1294, still residing at Aquila, Pope Celestine appointed twelve new cardinals. These included two natives of Aquila:
Tommaso d'Ocra de Apruntio, a member of the pope's own religious order, Cardinal Priest of
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th-century church in Rome, Italy, in the Trastevere rione, devoted to the Roman martyr Saint Cecilia (early 3rd century AD).
History
The first church on this site was founded probably in the 3rd century, by Pop ...
(who died in 1300); and Pietro d'Aquila, O.S.B., the bishop-elect of Valva-Sulmona, who became the Cardinal Priest of
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem or Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, ( la, Basilica Sanctae Crucis in Hierusalem) is a Catholic Minor basilica and titular church in rione Esquilino, Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim ...
(who died in 1298).
Celestine V finally departed Aquila on 6 October, heading for the monastery of Santo Spirito near Sulmona. He took up residence in Naples on 13 November 1294.
Reorganization
Following 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) ...
, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the council's decree, ''Christus Dominus'' chapter 40, Pope Paul VI ordered a reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces in southern Italy. On 15 August 1972, a new ecclesiastical province was created, with L'Aquila, which had previously been directly subject to the Holy See, as the new metropolitan archbishopric. The diocese of the Marsi (later renamed Avezzano) and the diocese of Valva e Sulmona were appointed suffragans.
Earthquake
In the earthquake of 3 December 1315, the cathedral of Aquila was destroyed. Bishop Filippo Delci (1312–1327) is credited with rebuilding it from the ground up.
The third large earthquake of 1703, which struck on 2 February, damaged the entire city of Aquila, especially the castle, the Palazzo Publico, the cathedral, and the church of S. Bernardino, and resulted in more than 2,500 casualties. The
1915 Avezzano earthquake destroyed 96% of the city of Avezzano and severely damaged much of the province of Aquila; there were estimated to be 30,000 deaths directly caused by the tremors.
The city and diocese of L'Aquila suffered a
devastating earthquake in 2009. The dome of the Cathedral collapsed. The dome, triumphal arch, and transept of the church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio collapsed, and the remains of
Pope Celestine V
Pope Celestine V ( la, Caelestinus V; 1215 – 19 May 1296), born Pietro Angelerio (according to some sources ''Angelario'', ''Angelieri'', ''Angelliero'', or ''Angeleri''), also known as Pietro da Morrone, Peter of Morrone, and Peter Celes ...
were thrown from their tomb.
Bishops and Archbishops of L'Aquila
1256 to 1599
*Berardo da Padula (1256–1264)
*Niccolò Sinizzo, O.Cist. (1267–1294)
*Nicola Castroceli, O.P. (1294–1303)
*Bartolomeo Conti (1303–1312)
[Bartolomeo was a native of Manoppello, a castle in the diocese of Chieti. He was elected by the Chapter and clergy of Aquila, and approved on 7 August 1303 by ]Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...
. He was already a priest, and was given the privilege by the pope of being consecrated at Aquila by any bishop he chose. He died at the Council of Vienne
The Council of Vienne was the fifteenth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church and met between 1311 and 1312 in Vienne, France. One of its principal acts was to withdraw papal support for the Knights Templar at the instigation of Phil ...
in May 1312. Signorini II, pp. 16-18. Georges Digard
''Les registres de Boniface VIII'' Vol. 3
Year 9 (Paris: Fointemoing 1907), p. 807, nos. 5305 and 5306.
*Filippo Delci (1312–1327)
*Angelo Acciaioli (1328–1342)
*Pietro Guglielmi (1343–1346)
*Paolo Rainaldi (1349–1377)
*Isacco D'Arcione (1353–1355)
*Giovanni Zacchei (1377–1381)
*Stefano Sidonio (1381–1382)ote
*Clemente Secinari (1382–1384)
*Oddo (1386–1388)
*Ludovico Cola (1389–1399)
*Giacomo Donadei (1401–1431)
*
Amico Agnifili
Amico Agnifili (died 1476) (called the Cardinal of L'Aquila) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
Biography
Amico Agnifili was born ca. 1398 in Rocca di Mezzo, the son of a poor shepherd. (His family had not yet adopted a famil ...
(1431–1472)
*Francesco Agnifili (1472–1476)
*Ludovico Borgio (1477–1485)
*Giovanbattista Gaglioffi (1486–1491)
*Giovanni Di Leone (1493–1502)
*Gualtiero Suardo (1502–1504)
*Giovanni da Prato (1504–1506)
*Francesco Franchi (1517–1523)
*
Giovanni Piccolomini
Giovanni Piccolomini (1475–1537) was an Italian papal legate and cardinal. He was a nephew of Pope Pius III.
He was made Archbishop of Siena in 1503, Bishop of Sitten in 1522, Bishop of Aquila in 1523, Bishop of Albano in 1524, Bishop o ...
(1523–1525)
*
Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna (12 May 1479 – 28 June 1532) was an Italian noble, ''condottiero'', politician, and cardinal. At the culmination of his career he was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples (1530–1532) for the Emperor Charles V. Born in Rome, he was ...
(1525–1532)
* ''Giovanni Piccolomini'' (
apostolic administrator
An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
, 1532–1538)
*Bernardo Sancio (1538–1552)
*
Alvaro Della Quadra (1553–1561)
*Giovanni D'Acugna (1561–1579)
*Mariano De Racciaccaris (1579–1592)
*Basilio Pignatelli (1593–1599)
1600 to 1900
*
Giuseppe de Rossi (Giuseppe De Rubeis) (1599–1605)
*Gundisalvo De Ruenda (1606–1622)
*
Álvaro de Mendoza (1622–1628)
["Bishop Alvaro Mendoza, O.F.M."]
''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 November 24, 2016
*Gaspare De Gaioso (1629–1644)
*Clemente Del Pezzo (1646–1651)
*Francesco Tellio De Leon (1654–1662)
*Carlo De Angelis (1663–1674)
*
Giovanni de Torrecilla y Cárdenas (1676–1681)
[ ''(in Latin)'']
*Arcangelo Tipaldi (Archangelus a Cilento) (1681–1682)
*Ignazio Della Zerda (Ignatius de la Cerda) (1683–1702)
*Domenico Taglialatela (1718–1742)
*Giuseppe Coppola (1742–1749)
*Ludovico Sabatini (1750–1776)
*Benedetto Cervone (1777–1788)
*Francesco Saverio Gualtieri (1792–1817)
*Girolamo Manieri (1818–1844)
*Michele Navazio (1845–1851)
*
Luigi Filippi (1853–1881)
*
Augusto Antonio Vicentini (1881–1892)
since 1900
*
Francesco Paolo Carrano (1893–1906)
*
Peregrin-François Stagni, SM (1907–1916)
*
Adolfo Turchi (1918–1929)
*
Gaudenzio Manuelli (1931–1941)
*
Carlo Confalonieri
Carlo Confalonieri (25 July 1893 – 1 August 1986) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops from 1967 to 1973, and dean of the College of Cardinals from 1977 until his death. C ...
(1941–1950)
*
Costantino Stella Costantino is both a masculine Italian given name and an Italian surname. Notable people with the name include:
People with the given name
*Costantino Affer (1906–1987), Italian medallist
* Costantino Barbella (1853–1925), Italian sculptor
*Cos ...
(1950–1973)
*
Carlo Martini
Carlo Martini (1908–1958) was an Italian painter and academician.
Biography
He studied in Brera Academy of Milan under the tutelage of Aldo Carpi. He moved to England in 1938. He lived in London and Glasgow. He came back in Italy in 1940 due ...
(1973–1983)
*
Mario Peressin (1983–1998)
*
Giuseppe Molinari
Giuseppe Molinari (born 11 January 1938 in Scoppito, L'Aquila Province) is an Italian Catholic bishop, who served as Archbishop of L'Aquila.
Born in Scoppito, he was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1962.
On 30 September 1989 he was app ...
(1998–2013)
*Cardinal
Giuseppe Petrocchi
Giuseppe Petrocchi (born 19 August 1948) is an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who has served as the Archbishop of L'Aquila since 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.
Life
Giuseppe Petrocchi was born on 19 August 1948 in Asc ...
(8 June 2013 – )
See also
*
Timeline of L'Aquila
*
Maximus of Aquila
Saint Maximus of Aveia (d. ca. 250 AD) (sometimes also known as ''Saint Maximus of Aquila'') is one of the patron saints of L'Aquila, Italy.
He was born in Aveia, nowadays known as Fossa (Italy), Fossa.
A deacon, he was martyred for his faith. T ...
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Avezzano
:
The Diocese of Avezzano ( la, Dioecesis Marsorum) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in central Italy, whose name in Italian was changed in 1986. It was previously known as the Diocese of Marsi, as it still is in Latin. It has been a ...
(until 1986, "Diocese of the Marsi"")
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sulmona-Valva
The Diocese of Sulmona-Valva ( la, Dioecesis Sulmonensis-Valvensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in central Italy, created in 1986. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of L'Aquila. The diocese was created in 1818 when the Dioc ...
*
List of Catholic dioceses in Italy
The following is the List of the Catholic dioceses in Italy. , the Catholic Church in Italy is divided into sixteen ecclesiastical regions. While they are similar to the 20 civil regions of the Italian state, there are some differences. Most eccl ...
*
Roman Catholicism in Italy
, native_name_lang = it
, image = San_Giovanni_in_Laterano_-_Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt =
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, the '' cathedra'' seat of the Po ...
References
Bibliography
Episcopal lists
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Studies
*
*Casalboni, Andrea (2014)
"La fondazione della città di L'Aquila."L'Aquila. Sunto della tesi magistrale, l'articolo è stato pubblicato sulla rivista Eurostudium, nel numero di gennaio-marzo 2014: http://www.eurostudium.eu/rivista/archivio/2014-01-03-N30.php
*
rticle by Canon Bonanno de Sanctis*Lanzoni, Francesco (1927).
Le diocesi d'Italia dalle origini al principio del secolo VII (an. 604)'. Faenza: F. Lega. pp. 363-370.
*Leosini, Angelo (1848).
Monumenti storici artistici della città di Aquila e suoi contorni colle notizie de' pittori, scultori, architetti ed altri artefici che vi fiorirono.'' . Aquila: Francesco Perchiazzi, 1848.
*Muratori, Lodovico Antonio (1742).
Antiquitates Italicae Medii Aevi sive dissertationes... omnia illustrantur, et confirmantur ingenti copia diplomatum et chartarum veterum, nunc primùm ex Archivis Italiae depromtarum, additis etiam nummis, chronicis, aliisque monumentis numquam antea editis.'' Volume 6. Milan: ex typographia Societatis Palatinae, 1742.
*Murri, Filippo (1996). ''Monasteri , conventi , case e istituti religiosi dell'arcidiocesi aquilana.'' . L'Aquila: Arcidiocesi 1996.
*Murri, Filippo (1997). ''Vescovi ed arcivescovi dell'Aquila''. . L'Aquila 1997.
*Schwartz, Gerhard (1907)
''Die Besetzung der Bistümer Reichsitaliens unter den sächsischen und salischen Kaisern: mit den Listen der Bischöfe, 951-1122'' Leipzig: B.G. Teubner. pp. 280-281 (Furconia).
*Signorini, Angelo (1868)
''La diocesi di Aquila descritta ed illustrata: studio''.. Volume 1 Aquila: Stabilimento Tipografico Grossi, 1868.
Vol. II.*. Vol. X, pp. 105-106.
External links
*Chiesa di L'Aquila
Official site"Aquila, L’."''Enciclopedia on line.'' Retrieved: 22 December 2022.
*Cheney, David M
*Chow, Gabriel
{{authority control
1257 establishments in Europe
13th-century establishments in Italy
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
Religious organizations established in the 1250s
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
L'Aquila