The Diocese of Castello, originally the Diocese of Olivolo, is a former Roman Catholic

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 ...

that was based on the city of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in Italy. It was established in 774, covering the islands that are now occupied by Venice. Throughout its existence there was tension between the diocese, the

Patriarchate of Grado This is a list of the Patriarchs of Grado (north-eastern Italy).
''

Doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

of Venice. Eventually in 1451 the diocese and the patriarchate were merged to form the

Archdiocese of Venice The Patriarchate of Venice ( la, Patriarchatus Venetiarum), also sometimes called the Archdiocese of Venice, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or patriarchal archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Venice, Italy. In 1451 the Patriarchate ...

History

Foundation

The diocese has its origins in the

Patriarchate of Aquileia The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an episcopal see in northeastern Italy, centred on the ancient city of Aquileia situated at the head of the Adriatic, on what is now the Italian seacoast. For many centuries it played an important part in histor ...

, founded during the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

. Hilarius of Panonia is recorded as bishop of Aquileia from about 276–285. As the empire fell into decline, Aquileia was sacked in turn by

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

(403),

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

(452) and

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

(659). During these times of trouble some of the people would take refuge on the offshore islands. By 630 an independent

Patriarch of Grado This is a list of the Patriarchs of Grado (north-eastern Italy).
''

Grado Grado may refer to: People * Cristina Grado (1939–2016), Italian film actress * Jonathan Grado (born 1991), American entrepreneur and photographer * Francesco De Grado ( fl. 1694–1730), Italian engraver * Gaetano Grado, Italian mafioso * ...

. The islands of Venice had originally been subject to the

Diocese of Padua The Roman Catholic Diocese of Padua ( it, Diocesi di Padova; la, Dioecesis Patavina) is an episcopal see of the Catholic Church in Veneto, northern Italy. It was erected in the 3rd century.Pope Adrian I Pope Adrian I ( la, Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman. Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic ...

and John IV, Patriarch of Grado, authorized the establishment of an episcopal see on the

island of Olivolo San Pietro di Castello ( vec, San Piero de Casteło), formerly Olivolo ( it, Olivòlo; vec, Ołivoło), is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, forming part of the Castello sestiere. It is linked to the main islands of Venice by ...

; the island is now called

San Pietro di Castello San Pietro di Castello ( vec, San Piero de Casteło), formerly Olivolo ( it, Olivòlo; vec, Ołivoło), is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, forming part of the Castello sestiere. It is linked to the main islands of Venice by ...

. The bishopric was established in 774–775 by the Duke of Malamocco, who gave it his protection. Its cathedral was dedicated to

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

. The Bishop of Olivolo was subordinate to Grado and had jurisdiction over the islands of Gemini, Rialto, Luprio and Dorsoduro, the main islands of the city of Venice. The bishopric, taken from the

Diocese of Malamocco 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 ...

(Methamancus), formed a small new state, the nucleus of the state of Venice.

Olivolo

The first bishop was Obelerius. He was invested and enthroned by the doge, and consecrated by the Patriarch of Grado. In 798 the doge nominated Cristoforo as his successor. Giovanni, patriarch of Grado, refused to consecrate Cristoforo due to his youth. Giovanni was killed for his disobedience and his successor consecrated Cristoforo. From his name, which is Greek, Cristoforo may have been Byzantine. At that time Italy was the seen of a struggle between the Lombards and Byzantines, and many in Venice were loyal to Byzantium. The

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

rose to power in the last half of the 8th century, and in 800

Pope Leo III Pope Leo III (died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position b ...

crowned

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

as Emperor. In 802 a faction that was friendly to the Franks came to power in Malamocco, and sent the

s Giovanni and Maurizio II into exile, along with the bishop of Olivolo. In 810 a Byzantine fleet helped restore the party that favored Byzantium, and Angelo I Participazzo was made doge. An attempt by the Franks to conquer the Venetian Lagoon failed, and after long negotiations it was agreed that Venice fell in the Byzantine sphere, while Venetian merchants could trade throughout the western empire. The Doge made his seat on the island of Rialto, and with the surrounding islands including Olivolo the new state started to take the name of Venetiae. In the ninth century the relics of saints Sergios and Bacchus were placed in the cathedral at Olivolo by the pro-Greek faction. The church of San Pietro di Castello was built by Orso Participazio, the fourth bishop of Olivolo. It was burned down several times. In 828, the second year of the Doge

Giustiniano Participazio Giustiniano Participazio ( la, Agnellus Iustinianus Particiacus; died 829) was the eleventh (traditional) or ninth (historical) Doge of Venice from 825 to his death. His four years on the ducal throne were very eventful. He was made hypatus by ...

, the

Caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

had ordered that the Christian churches of

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, Egypt, be pulled down so their marble columns could be used for his palace. The body of Saint

Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...

was smuggled out from the church of Saint Mark to Venice. To discourage the "Saracens" from examining the coffin, it was filled with pork. When the ship reached

Olivolo island San Pietro di Castello ( vec, San Piero de Casteło), formerly Olivolo ( it, Olivòlo; vec, Ołivoło), is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, forming part of the Castello sestiere. It is linked to the main islands of Venice by ...

in Venice, the saint made signs that showed he did not want to be placed in the custody of the bishop. Instead, he was taken to the Doge's chapel, and planning began to create a magnificent new temple suitable for such important relics. The motives for the robbery of the saint's body were in part to establish the importance of the city of Venice, as opposed to the sees of Grado and Olivolo, relative to the patriarchate of Aquileia. In 853 Orso, bishop of Olivolo, left his property to his sister Romana, She was to guard it from future bishops who might not be worthy. He decreed that if his successor mismanaged the property of the diocese, after his death she should have the power to ordain the basilica of St. Laurence to whomever she chose. The new state fought off challenges from Croats, Saracens and Hungarians, and under

Pietro II Candiano Pietro II Candiano ( – 939) was the nineteenth Doge of Venice between 932 and 939. He followed Orso II Participazio (912–932) to become Doge in 932. Career The Candiano family was the most important family of Venice during the tenth century. ...

(932–939) began to expand on the mainland. Under

Pietro IV Candiano Pietro IV Candiano (925–976) was the twenty-second (traditional) or twentieth (historical) doge of Venice from 959 to his death. He was the eldest son of Pietro III Candiano, with whom he co-reigned and whom he was elected to succeed. Rise Pie ...

(959–976) the

Great Council of Venice The Great Council or Major Council ( it, Maggior Consiglio; vec, Mazor Consegio) was a political organ of the Republic of Venice between 1172 and 1797. It was the chief political assembly, responsible for electing many of the other political off ...

appeared, a body that included the bishops of the Venetian territories and that approved all laws. The Latin cities of the

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...

n and

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

n coast, threatened by

Slavs Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...

, placed themselves under the authority of Venice, and the Byzantine emperor consented to the Doge assuming the title of Duke of Dalmatia. In 1001 the bishop Peter Martuseo, of the Quinta Bella family, built the church of San Agostino. In 1046 Bishop Domenico Gradenigo and Patriarch Orso Orscolo participated in the council of bishops in Saint Mark's called by the Doge Domenico Flabanico. The council made important decisions about organization and worship, including a decision that a priest could not be consecrated before the age of thirty, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Castello

In 1074, the Bishop of Olivolo began to be styled the Bishop of Castello.

Enrico Contarini Enrico Contarini (died 15 November 1108) was a Venetian priest who was Bishop of Castello from 1074 to 1108. Biography Enrico Contarini was the son of the Doge Domenico Contarini of the aristocratic Venetian family (House of Contarini). He was ...

was the first to hold this title. He was the son of the Doge Domenico Contarini. In 1084 the Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

in his Golden Bull recognized the full independence of Venice, along with freedom from tributes, trade restrictions and customs duties. The Doge

Vitale Michiel Vital I Michiel (died 1102) was a Doge of Venice; he was the 33rd traditional (30th historic) Doge of the Republic of Venice. A member of one of the so-called “twelve apostolic” families, he was married to Felicia Cornaro, who had influence o ...

(1096–1112) held back from participating in the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...

until he saw the amount of loot that the Genoese and Pisans were bringing back from Palestine. In 1099 Enrico Contarini was the spiritual leader of the fleet of about 200 ships that Michiel sent to assist in the crusade in the Levant. The fleet sailed to

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

, where it wintered. The emperor of Byzantium asked the Venetians not to proceed, but the bishop overcame any who were inclined to listen to this request. In the spring of 1100 the fleet went on to

Myra Myra ( grc, Μύρα, ''Mýra'') was a Lycian, then ancient Greek, then Greco-Roman, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of ...

in Asia Minor, where they obtained the remains of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

, his uncle Nicholas and Saint

Theodore the Martyr Theodore the Martyr refers to the two saints Theodore of Amasea (Theodore the Recruit) and Theodore Stratelates (Theodore the General), two important military saints of the Byzantine period. The two saints are likely identical in origin, the ve ...

. They went on to the Holy Land, then returned to Venice, which they reached on 6 December 1100. With this acquisition, the Bishop obtained a patron saint to rival the Doge's Saint Mark. Bishop Giovanni Polani (1133–1164) was a kinsman of the Doge of Venice,

Pietro Polani Pietro Polani (died 1148) was the 36th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1130 to 1148. Polani was elected Doge over the protests of the Dandolo and Bado families because of his first marriage to Adelasa Michele, who was the daughter of his predeces ...

(r. 1130–1148). Polani became engaged in a dispute with

Enrico Dandolo Enrico Dandolo ( anglicised as Henry Dandolo and Latinized as Henricus Dandulus; c. 1107 – May/June 1205) was the Doge of Venice from 1192 until his death. He is remembered for his avowed piety, longevity, and shrewdness, and is known for his ...

, the Patriarch of Grado. Eventually these clashes, which also involved the Doge, would culminate in the exile of the patriarch. In 1139, encouraged by Dandolo, the clergy of the ancient church of San Salvatore in central Venice decided to become canons regular under the rule of St. Augustine. Polani was furious at what he saw as an attempt to take this important parish away from his control, and placed it under interdict. In response, Dandolo placed it under his metropolitan protection. On 13 May 1141

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

lifted the interdict, placed San Salvatore under his personal protection and sent to canons to instruct the congregation in the rule. The Republic of Venice began its golden age under the Doge

(1192–1205). Under him the French crusading army of the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

was used to bring Trieste and Zara under Venetian sway, and then to obtain a large part of the

Latin Empire of Constantinople The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzanti ...

along the east coast of the Adriatic, most of the Peloponnese and settlements in the Sea of Marmora, the Black Sea and the Aegean. The relationship between the bishop, the patriarch and the doge was complex. The bishops of Olivolo, and then Castello, were technically suffragans of the Patriarch of Grado. From the middle of the 11th century the patriarchs took up residence for most of the time at

San Silvestro, Venice San Silvestro is a church building in the sestiere of San Polo of Venice, northern Italy. The church is located in the business district of Rialto. Originally, in the 12th century, it was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Grado. After re ...

, while the bishop was based at San Pietro on the east of the city. An important role was played by the ''primicerio'', based in Saint Mark's, who represented the Doge and the city government. The ''primicerio'' invested the bishops, abbots and patriarchs. From the twelfth century the patriarch had a throne in Saint Mark's, which changed its role from the Doge's chapel to the state church. In 1225 the Bishop Marco II Michel gained the exemption of the clergy from lay jurisdiction except when real property was involved. In 1230 Michiel challenged the rights of the Doges over Saint Mark's. In an effort to standardize the rites and ceremonies, in the mid-13th century the Bishop Pietro Pino (1235–1255) made an ''Ordinary'' for the year's divine offices and holy ceremonies, with the concurrence of all the parish priests and the canons of San Pietro di Castello. This became the rule of the diocese from that date. Bishop Jacopo Albertini (1311–1329) supported Louis of Bavaria, whom he crowned as King of Italy in 1327, and was therefore deposed. Under Bishop Nicolo' Morosini (1336–1367) the dispute between the clergy and Government concerning the mortuary tithes was settled. This dispute flared up again under Bishop Paolo Foscari (1367–1375) and was ended only in 1376. During the

Western Schism The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Vatican Standoff, the Great Occidental Schism, or the Schism of 1378 (), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 1378 to 1417 in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon bo ...

(1378 to 1418) Venice always adhered to the Roman claimant. Around 1418 Bishop Marco Lando (1417–1426) prescribed adoption of elements of the

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

in conformity with Rome. On 8 October 1451 the diocese was suppressed and its territory transferred to the newly created Patriarchal See of Venezia, or

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice The Patriarchate of Venice ( la, Patriarchatus Venetiarum), also sometimes called the Archdiocese of Venice, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or patriarchal archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Venice, Italy. In 1451 the Patriarchate ...

.Translatio patriarchalis Ecclesiae Graden. ad civitatem Venetiarum, cum suppressione tituli eiusdem Ecclesiae Gradensis
, in: ''Bullarum, diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurinensis editio'', vol. 5 (Turin: Franco et Dalmazzo, 1860), pp. 107–109. In 1969 the diocese was restored as the Titular Episcopal See of Castello.

Office holders

Bishops of Olivolo

Bishops of Olivolo were: * Obelerius (775–...) * Christopher I Damiata (797–810) - ''deposed''
John (804) - ''usurper'' * Christopher II (810–813) * Christopher I Damiata (813–...) - ''reinstated'' * Orso I Parteciacus (825–...) * Maurice (...–...) * Domenicus I (...–...) * John (unknown – 876) - ''excommunicated by

Pope John VIII Pope John VIII ( la, Ioannes VIII; died 16 December 882) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 14 December 872 to his death. He is often considered one of the ablest popes of the 9th century. John devoted much of his papacy ...

'' * Lorenzo I (880–909) * Domenico II (909–...) * Domenico III (...–...) * Peter I Tribunus (929–938) * Orso II (938–945) * Domenico IV Talonicus (945–955) * Peter II Marturio (955–963) * George (963–966) * Marino Cassianico (966–992) * Domenico V Gradenigo (992–1026) * Domenico VI Gradenigo (1026–1044) * Domenico VII Contarini (1044–1074)

Bishops of Castello

Bishops of Castello were: * Henry Contarini (1074–1108) * Vitale I Michiel (1108–1120) * Bonifacio Falier (1120–1133) * John I Polani (1133–1164) * Vitale II Michiel (1164–1182) * Philip Casolo (1182–1184) * Mark I Nicolai (1184–1225) * Mark II Michiel (1225–1235) * Peter III Pino (1235–1255) * Walter Agnusdei (1255–1258) * Thomas I Arimondo (1258–1260) * Thomas II Franco (1260–1274) * Bartolomew I Querini (1274–1292) * Simeon Moro (1292–1293) * Bartholomew II Querini (1293–1303) * Ramberto Polo (1303–1311) * Galasso Albertini (1311) * Giacomo Albertini (1311–1329) * Angelo I Dolfin (1329–1336) * Nicholas Morosini (1336–1367) *

Paul Foscari Paolo Foscari was a Venetian noble and churchman, who rose to become Bishop of Castello in 1367–1375, and Latin Archbishop of Patras from 1375 until his death in 1393/4. In the latter capacity he played a leading role in the affairs of the Princip ...

(1367–1375) * John II (1375–1378) - ''deposed'' * Nicholas II Morosini (1379) * Angelo II Correr (1379–1390) - ''became

Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII ( la, Gregorius XII; it, Gregorio XII; – 18 October 1417), born Angelo Corraro, Corario," or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was oppose ...

'' * John III Loredan (1390) * Francis I Falier (1390–1392) * Leonard Dolfin (1392–1401) * Francis II Bembo (1401–1417) * Mark III Lando (1417–1426) * Peter IV Donato (1426–1428) * Francis III Malipiero (1428–1433) * Lorenzo II Giustiniani (1433–1451) - ''became Patriarch of Venice''

Titular Bishops

Titular bishops and archbishops were: *Titular Archbishop Angel Pérez Cisneros (1969.07.25 – 1972.08.30) *Titular Archbishop Pierluigi Sartorelli (1972.10.07 – 1996.04.28) *Titular Bishop:

Gianni Danzi Gianni Danzi (January 25, 1940 – October 2, 2007) was an Italian Catholic Archbishop of the Territorial Prelature of Loreto. He was born in Viggiù, Varese province, Italy. Danzi died in October 2007 at the age of 67 at his parents' house in ...

(later Archbishop) (1996.05.02 – 2005.02.22) *Titular Archbishop

Charles Daniel Balvo Charles Daniel Balvo (born June 29, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving in diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1987. His current posting is as apostolic nuncio to Australia. He has been an apostoli ...

(from 2005.04.01)

References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Castello, Roman Catholic Diocese of 774 establishments Dioceses established in the 11th century Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Italy Roman Catholic dioceses in Veneto