The Diocese of Aleria (Latin ''Dioecesis Aleriensis'') was a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

diocese of the

Latin rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...

, in the center of the eastern coast of the island of Corsica in the Department of Haute-Corse. The town of Aleria was subject to repeated raids by Arab fleets in the eighth and ninth centuries, and eventually abandoned, many of its people fleeing to the mainland. The bishop moved to a secure stronghold to the north. From at least the eleventh century, the diocese was 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 metropolitan

archdiocese of Pisa The Archdiocese of Pisa ( la, Archidioecesis Pisana) is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Pisa, Italy.717, Pisan">708, Pisan); on 30–31 July 1716 717, Pisan and on 31 J ... has been Giovanni Paolo Benotto. History In a letter of ...

. The diocese was suppressed by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790, and was not revived after the Concordat of 1801 between the French Consulate and the Papacy."Titular Episcopal See of Aléria"
''GCatholic.org.'' Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016 It has been a titular diocese since 2002.

History

There is evidence that Corsica was being converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

in the late 6th century.

Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

wrote in 597 to Bishop Peter of Aleria to recover lapsed converts and to convert more pagans from the worship of trees and sacred stones (menhir). He sent him money for

baptismal robe Baptismal clothing is apparel worn by Christian proselytes (and in some cases, by clergy members also) during the ceremony of baptism. White clothes are generally worn because the person being baptized is "fresh like the driven manna". In certain C ...

s. In 601, however, Aleria was without a bishop. Gregory had sent a certain Bishop Leo as Apostolic Visitor to deal with the situation in Corsica, where there had been no bishop for some time. Pope Gregory addresses Leo as ''episcopus in Corsica'', bishop in Corsica, not bishop of Corsica, and authorizes him to perform ordinations of priests and deacons. While Leo was still in Corsica, Pope Gregory sent a second bishop, Martinus to join in the Visitation. With the Arab invasions, the town of Aleria was destroyed and abandoned. The bishop and cathedral retreated to the hillside town of Cervione, above the beach of Campoloro, some 25 km north of Aleria. In 846, Adelbert the ''tutor Corsicanae insulae'' informed

Pope Sergius II Pope Sergius II ( la, Sergius II; died 27 January 847) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from January 844 to his death in 847. Sergius II's pontificate saw the Arab raid against Rome as well as the city's redevelopment. Rise B ...

that a force of 11,000 Saracens, with 73 ships and 500 cavalry, had come.

Pope Leo IV Pope Leo IV (790 – 17 July 855) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 847 to his death. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during the Arab raid against Rome, and for building the Leon ...

(849–855) allowed the people of Corsica, who were fleeing from the Saracens, to settle in the town of Porto By the time of

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria refor ...

(1061–1073) there were several bishops functioning in Corsica again. In 1077

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 ...

(1073–1085) entrusted the dioceses of the island to the Bishop of Pisa as his Vicar. The Pope expresses happiness that the people of Corsica, after having for such a long time been subjected to the justice of the invaders, wish to return to the justice of the Holy Roman Church. In 1713 there were some 200 people living in Aleria, under the government of the Genoese, though ecclesiastically they belonged to the Metropolitan of Pisa. There were 18 towns and villages in the diocese. In 1770, at the beginning of the French domination of Corsica, the bishop no longer lived in Aléria, but in

Cervione Cervione (; co, Cervioni) is a commune of the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is home to the Saint Erasmus cathedral, which was completed in 1745, and is an example of the baroque style. Geography The town of Ce ...

. The Cathedral Chapter had one dignity and twelve Canons. The diocese had 160 parishes. On 29 November 1801, in accordance with the Napoleontic Concordat of 1801, it was suppressed as the territory of the diocese of

Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...

was extended to the whole of Corsica. Today, Aleria is no longer a residential bishopric, but the name was revived as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

in April 2002.

Bishops of Aleria

to 1300

*Peter (596, 597) *Bonosus (attested 649) * Landulphus (Landolf) (1093 – after 1119) * gnotus(708) (consecrated by Pope Sisinnius) * Hieronymus (1122 – ?) * Marco de Volaterres (1139 – ?) * Blaise (1172 – ?) * Flavius (1179 – ?) * Anthony (1190 – ?) * Clement (1217 – ?) * Nicholas (1228 – ?) * Lombardo Cuneo (1239 – ?) * Orlandu Cortincu della Petrallarretta (1249 – ?) * Landolf (1257 – ?) * Lombard (1258 – ?) * Nicolao Fortiguerra, O.P. (1270 – ? ) * Bartolomeo de Benevento, O.P. (1274 – ? ) * Orlandu Cortincu (1289 – ? )

1300 to 1500

* Salvin (1300 – ?) * Guglielmo (1309 – ?) * Gerardo Orlandini (1322 – 1330) * Galgano Bocca di Bue, O.Min. (1330 – 1342) * Guglielmo Arcumbaldi (1342 – 1345) * Arnald,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

(O.P.) (1345.07.30 – ?), previously Bishop of

Segni Segni (, ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' located in Lazio. The city is situated on a hilltop in the Lepini Mountains, and overlooks the valley of the Sacco River. History Early history According to ancient Roman sources, Lucius Tarquinius ...

(Italy) (1333.10.30 – 1345.07.30)Eubel, I, p. 82. * Raimond (1354 – ?) * Johannes (1360 – 1362) * Biagio (Blaise), O.P. (1362 – ?) * Salvino da Nebbio (1366 – 1405) * Bartholomaeus (1406 – 1410) * Ottobonus Lomellino (18 Feb 1411 – ?) * Ioannes Leonis, O.P. (1440) * Ambrughju d’Omessa (1440 – 1464) *

Giovanni Andrea Bussi Giovanni Andrea Bussi (1417–1475), also Giovan de' Bussi or Joannes Andreae, was an Italian Renaissance humanist and the Bishop of Aleria (from 1469). He was a major editor of classical texts and produced many incunabular ''editiones princip ...

(1469 – death 1475) * Cardinal Ardicino della Porta (22 Feb 1465 – death 4 Feb 1493) Della Porta was created Cardinal-Priest of Santi Giovanni e Paolo by

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...

on 9 March 1489; he was also

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 ...

of Olomouc (Bohemia) (1489–1493). Eubel, II, pp. 20, 85, 206 with note 5. * Girolamo Pallavicini (1493 – 1512> )

since 1500

* Cardinal

Innocenzo Cibo Innocenzo Cibo (25 August 1491 – 13 April 1550) was an Italian cardinal and archbishop. Family and education From the Genoese family Cibo, in 1488 the Cybo family purchased Florentine citizenship for a considerable sum of money I ...

(1518.06.19 – 1520.12.19)

* Francesco Pallavicini (1520 – 1550) * Pietro Francesco Pallavicini (1551 – death 1570) *

Alessandro Sauli Alexander (Alessandro) Sauli, C.R.S.P. (15 February 1534 – 11 October 1592) was an Italian people, Italian priest who is called the "Apostle of Corsica". He is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1571, he was appointed by Pius V to th ...

, (B.) (1570.02.10 – 1591.05.10) *

Ottavio Belmosto Ottavio is the Italian form of Octavius. Its feminine given name version is Ottavia. Ottavio may refer to: Given name * Ottavio Cinquanta, the President of the International Skating Union * Ottavio Leoni, Italian painter * Ottavio Piccolomini, (1 ...

(1591.07.31 – 1608)Belmosto was a priest of the diocese of Genoa, and a ''Doctor in utroque iure'' (Civil and Canon Law); he was Abbot Commendatory of the monastery of S. Maria de Matina. He needed a dispensation for consecration, since he had only been in Holy Orders for five months when named bishop. Eubel, III, p. 102 with note 8. Belmosto was later Bishop of

Pavia Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...

(Italy) (1591.10.30 – death 1592.10.11) and was later created Cardinal-Priest of S. Carlo ai Catinari (1616.10.17 – death 1618.11.16) *

Domenico Rivarola Domenico Rivarola (1575–1627) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 28 Dec 1608, he was consecrated bishop by Michelangelo Tonti, Cardinal-Priest of San Bartolomeo all'Isola, with Metello Bichi, Bishop Emeritus of Sovana, and Valerian ...

(1608.12.10 – 1609.03.30) Rivarola was later Metropolitan Archbishop of Nazareth–Canne–Monteverde in Barletta (Italy) (1609.03.30 – death 1627.01.03), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Martino ai Monti (1611.09.12 – death 1627.01.03) *

Giovanni Sauli Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

(Scali, Sacchi) (1609 – 1611) * Giovan Francesco Murta (de Mirto) (1611 – 1612) * Dezio Giustiniani (1612 – 1642) * Cardinal

Ottaviano Raggi Ottaviano Raggi (1592-1643) was a 17th-century Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Before his appointment as Cardinal he rose in the ranks of civil and juridical administration of the Papal States and after he was one ...

(1643) * Agostino Donghi (1643 – 1645) * Cardinal

. (1643.01.12 – 1643.12.31) * Giovanni Battista Imperiali (1645 – 1674) * Mario Emmanuelle Durazzo (1674 – 1704) * Raffaele Raggi, B. (3 March 1705 – 20 Sep 1712) * Carlo Maria Giuseppe de Fornari (30 Jan 1713 – 20 Feb 1715) * Agostino Saluzzo, Lazarists (C.M.) (1715 – 1720) * Camillo de Mari (1720 – death 1741) * Girolamo Curlo (1741 – 1749) * Matteu d’Angelis (1750 – death 1769) * Jean-Joseph-Marie de Guernes (1770.08.06 – 29 November 1801)De Guernes was born in the diocese of Limoges. He held a batchelor degree in theology and a licenciate in Civil and Canon Law. He was Vicar-General of the diocese of Riez, and then Vicar-General of Auxerre. Ritzler, VI, p. 74 with note 4.

Titular bishops of Aleria

* Guido Fiandino (2002.06.21 – ...), retired, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

References

Books

*Cappelletti, Giuseppe (1861). ''Le chiese d'Italia'
Tomo decimosesto
Venezia: Giuseppe Antonelli. pp. 326–353. Retrieved: 2016-10-26. * (in Latin) * * * * *Kehr, Paulus Fridolin (1975). ed. D. Girgensohn. ''Italia Pontificia''. Vol. X: Calabria—Insulae (Turici: Weidmann). * * * *