Roman Catholic Diocese of Aosta

History

Although Ursus is sometimes said to have been the first bishop, this is controverted. The first certainly known bishop is St. Eustasius, whose name coupled with Aosta is signed to a letter sent to Pope Leo I by the second Synod of Milan in 451. In the cathedral treasury is a consular diptych of Anicius Petronius Probus, Roman consul in 406, which shows the Emperor Honorius. (It was discovered in 1833.) From the ninth century the list of bishops is fairly complete. Bernard of Menthon (1008), Archdeacon of Aosta, founded the hospice on the Alps named after him, as a relief to pilgrims.

In the 10th and early 11th centuries, the bishops of Aosta ruled the surrounding country as its secular counts. The two titles were separated at or following the death of Bishop Anselm of Aosta, in 1026, owing to Conrad II's desire to strengthen his position near the important Little St Bernard Pass and distrust of Burchard, Anselm's successor and a relative of various nobles opposed to Conrad's claims in Burgundy. (Burchard would subsequently rise in a failed revolt; he was later translated to Lyons.)

His namesake, Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury (1033-1109), was also a native of Aosta and probably related to its dynasty of bishops; however, rather than remain in local service, he travelled to Bec Abbey in Normandy and ultimately became primate over Norman England instead.

The see was suppressed in 1802 and re-established in 1817.

Territory and parishes

The diocese, which covers an area of 3,262 km² and has a population of 129,288, is divided into 93 parishes. All are in the (civil) region of Aosta Valley. A list of parishes by commune follows; locations (villages or neighbourhoods) within a commune are shown in brackets.

Diocese of Aosta

Erected: 4th Century Latin Name: Augustanus

Saint Eustasius (fifth century)

Saint Gratus of Aosta (Grat, Grato; second half of fifth century), patron saint of the diocese.

Jucundus (Joconde, Giocondo; died 522)

Agnellus (Agnello; died 528)

Gal (Gallo; died 546), like Gratus and Agnellus he was buried in the church of St. Laurence

Plocéan (late sixth century?), an Arian who, according to the legend of Saint Ursus of Aosta, was strangled in his bed by two devils.

Ratborn (before 876 - after 877)

Liutfred (since 966 or 969)

Anselm I (994 - 14 January 1026)

Burchard (before 10 March 1026 - after July 1033, translated to Lyon), lost county of Aosta to Humbert the White-Handed, prompting a failed rebellion against Conrad II

Anselm II (1075 or 1090)

Boson I de la Porte Saint-Ours (before 1099 - after 1113 or 1114)

Herbert (before November 1132 - after March 1138)

Armann

Boson II de la Porte Saint-Ours (?)

Hugues d'Avise

Bienheureux Arnulphe d'Avise (before 1152 - after October 1158)

Guillaume de la Palud de Gressan (before November 1161 - end 1170)

Aymon de la Porte Saint-Ours (end 1170 or beginning 1071 - after April 1176)

Guy (before June 1180 - after August 1185)

Valbert (before May 1186 - 26 October 1212)

Jacques de Portia (before April 1213 - 1219 bishop of Asti)

Boniface of Valperga (1219–1243)

Rodolphe du Châtelard de La Salle † (18 December 1243 - 2 March 1246 bishop of Tarentaise)

Pierre de Pra (before September 1246 - after April 1256)

Pierre d'Étroubles (before December 1258 - 1 September 1259)

Pierre III de Sarre or du Palais (before December 1260 - after July 1263)

Humbert of Villette (before 25 April 1266 - 29 March 1272)

Aymon de Challant (before 30 August 1272 - 21 December 1273, bishop of Vercelli)

Simon de Duin (before 1 February 1275)

Nicolas I of Bersatoribus † (before December 1283 - 7 October 1301)

Emerico di Quart (Bienheureux Éméric de Quart) (1302–1313)

...

Pierre de Sonnaz (31 Oct 1399 - 1410 Died)

Ogerio Moriset (12 Jan 1411 - 11 Feb 1433 Appointed, Bishop of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne)

Giorgio di Saluzzo (16 Feb 1433 - 1 Apr 1440 Appointed, Bishop of Lausanne)

Giovanni di Prangins (1 Apr 1440 - 23 Oct 1444 Resigned)

Antoine de Prez (23 Oct 1444 - 4 Apr 1464 Resigned)

François Desprez (bishop) (4 Apr 1464 - 22 May 1511 Died)

Ercole d'Azeglio (22 Aug 1511 - 6 Jun 1515 Died)

Amedeo Berruti (13 Jun 1515 - Feb 1525 Died)

Pietro Gazino (1528 - May 1557 Died)

Marcantonio Bobba (14 Jun 1557 - 1568 Resigned)

Girolamo Ferragatta, O.S.A. (30 Apr 1568 - 1572 Died)

Cesare Gromis (19 Nov 1572 - 25 Jun 1585 Died)

Giovanni Goffredo Ginod (16 Jul 1586 - 26 Feb 1592 Died)

Onorato Lascaris, O.C.S.Aug. (23 Mar 1594 - 11 Jul 1594 Died)

Bartolomeo Ferrero (5 May 1595 - 4 Aug 1607 Died)

Lodovico Martini (31 Jan 1611 - 10 Dec 1621 Died)

Giovanni Battista Vercellino (13 Feb 1623 Confirmed - 17 Mar 1651 Died)

Filiberto Milliet de Faverges, C.R.L. (16 Oct 1656 - 29 Jul 1658 Appointed, Bishop of Ivrea)

Filiberto Alberto Bailly, B. (13 Jan 1659 - 3 Apr 1691 Died)

Alessandro Lambert (25 Jun 1692 - 24 Nov 1698 Appointed, Bishop of Ivrea)

François Amédée Milliet d'Arvillars (5 Jan 1699 - 25 Jun 1727 Confirmed, Archbishop of Tarentaise)

Jacques Rambert (26 Nov 1727 Confirmed - 16 Sep 1728 Died)

Jean Grillet, O.P. (3 Oct 1729 Confirmed - 14 Sep 1730 Died)

Pierre François de Sales de Thorens (17 Apr 1741 Confirmed - 5 Dec 1783 Died)

Paolo Giuseppe Solaro di Villanova (20 Sep 1784 - 15 May 1803 Resigned)

1807: Suppressed
1817: Restablished

Andreas Maria de Maistre (16 Mar 1818 Confirmed - 18 Jul 1818 Died)

Jean-Baptiste-Marie Aubriot de la Palme (29 Mar 1819 Confirmed - 30 Jul 1823 Resigned)

Evasio Secundo Agodino (12 Jul 1824 - 24 Apr 1831 Died)

Andrea Jourdain (2 Jul 1832 - 29 May 1859 Died)

Giacomo Giuseppe Jans (22 Feb 1867 - 21 Mar 1872 Died)

Augusto Giuseppe Duc (29 Jul 1872 - 16 Dec 1907 Resigned)

Giovanni Vincenzo Tasso, C.M. (30 Mar 1908 - 24 Aug 1919 Died)

Claudio Angelo Giuseppe Calabrese (7 May 1920 - 7 May 1932 Died)

Francesco Imberti (23 Jul 1932 - 10 Oct 1945 Appointed, Archbishop of Vercelli)

Mathurin Blanchet, O.M.I. (18 Feb 1946 - 15 Oct 1968 Retired)

Ovidio Lari (15 Oct 1968 - 30 Dec 1994 Retired)

Giuseppe Anfossi (30 Dec 1994 - 9 Nov 2011 Retired)

Franco Lovignana (9 Nov 2011 - )

Aosta Valley

Allein

Saint Stephen

Antey-Saint-André

Saint Andrew

Aosta

Mary (mother of Jesus) Anselm of Aosta John the Baptist (the cathedral) Saint Lawrence Saint Stephen Saint-Martin-de-Corléans Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (Porossan) Saint Nicholas and Saint Barbara (Excenex) Saint Bernard of Mont-Joux (Signayes)

Arnad

Martin of Tours

Arvier

Saint Sulpice

Avise

Saint Brice

Ayas

Martin of Tours (Antagnod) Saint Anne (Champoluc)

Aymavilles

Christ the King

Bard

Assumption of Mary

Bionaz

Saint Margaret

Brissogne

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Brusson

Saint Maurice

Challand-Saint-Anselme

Anselm of Aosta

Challand-Saint-Victor

Saint Victor of Soleure

Chambave

Saint Lawrence

Chamois

Saint Pantaleon

Champdepraz

Saint François de Sales

Champorcher

Saint Nicholas

Charvensod

Columba of Sens

Châtillon

Saint Peter

Cogne

Saint Ursus

Courmayeur

Saint Pantaleon Saint Margaret (Entrèves)

Donnas

Saint Peter Nativity of the Theotokos (Vert)

Doues

Saint Blaise

Emarèse

Saint Pantaleon

Etroubles

Assumption of Mary

Fénis

Saint Maurice

Fontainemore

Anthony the Great

Gaby

Michael (archangel)

Gignod

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Gressan

Saint Stephen

Gressoney-La-Trinité

Holy Trinity

Gressoney-Saint-Jean

John the Baptist

Hône

Saint George

Introd

Conversion of Saint Paul

Issime

Saint James

Issogne

Assumption of Mary

Jovençan

Saint Ursus

La Magdeleine

Saint Mary Magdalene

La Salle, Italy

Saint Cassian Saint Ursus (Derby)

La Thuile

Saint Nicholas

Lillianes

Saint Roch

Montjovet

Nativity of the Theotokos Saint Germain (Saint-Germain)

Morgex

Assumption of Mary

Nus

Hilary of Poitiers Saint Bartholomew (Lignan)

Ollomont

Saint Augustine

Oyace

Michael (archangel)

Perloz

Jesus

Pollein

Saint George

Pontboset

Gratus of Aosta

Pontey

Martin of Tours

Pont-Saint-Martin

Saint Lawrence

Pré-Saint-Didier

Saint Lawrence

Quart

Saint Eusebius (Bas-Villair) Saint Sebastian (Ville-Sur-Nus)

Rhêmes-Notre-Dame

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Rhêmes-Saint-Georges

Saint George

Roisan

Saint Victor

Saint-Christophe

Saint Christopher

Saint-Denis

Denis of Paris

Saint-Marcel

Pope Marcellus I

Saint-Nicolas

Saint Nicholas

Saint-Oyen

Saint Oyen

Saint-Pierre

Saint Peter

Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses

San Remigio Leonard of Noblac

Saint-Vincent

Saint Vincent

Sarre

Saint Maurice Saint Eustace (Chesallet)

Torgnon

Martin of Tours

Valgrisenche

St. Gratus

Valpelline

Saint Pantaleon

Valsavarenche

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Valtournenche

Anthony the Great Maria Regina Vallis Augustanae (Breuil-Cervinia)

Verrayes

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (Diémoz)

Verrès

Saint Giles

Villeneuve

Assumption of Mary