The Italian Catholic Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina in Emilia Romagna was created on September 30, 1986, after the Diocese of Sarsina was united with the historic Diocese of Cesena as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.
The current bishop of Cesena-Sarsina is Douglas Regattieri. He was appointed on October 8, 2010, after Bishop Antonio Lanfranchi was named Metropolitan Archbishop of Modena-Nonantola by Pope Benedict XVI.
Cesena was the ancient Cæsena. After the overthrow of the Ostrogoths it became a part of the exarchate. By the Donation of Pepin (752) it became a fief of the Holy See, which was confirmed in its possession by King Rudolph of Habsburg (1278).
In medieval times it was governed by various families, among them the Ordelaffi di Forli and the Malatesta, the latter being remembered for their justice and good government. After the death of Cesare Borgia, Cesena, with the rest of Romagna, acknowledged the immediate authority of the Holy See (1503).
Erected: 1st Century
Latin Name: Caesenatensis
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Ravenna
...
Saint Maurus (d. 946);
...
Gian Battista Acciaioli (1332), exiled by Francesco degli Ordelaffi;
...
Gregorio Malesardi (1408), who built the cathedral;
...
Jacopo (1379), under whom occurred the massacre ordered by the antipope Clement VII;
Antonio Malatesta (5 Dec 1435 - )
Pietro Menzi (11 May 1487 - 1504 Died)
Fazio Giovanni Santori (22 Jul 1504 - 22 Mar 1510 Died)
Cristoforo Spiriti (8 Apr 1510 - 5 Nov 1556 Died)
Giovanni Battista Spiriti (5 Nov 1556 - 1557 Resigned)
Odoardo Gualandi (Galanti) (7 Dec 1557 - 1588 Resigned)
Camillo Gualandi (30 Mar 1588 - 11 Feb 1609 Died)
Michelangelo Tonti (11 Mar 1609 - 21 Apr 1622 Died)
Francesco Sacrati (cardinal) (23 May 1622 - 6 Sep 1623 Died)
Lorenzo Campeggi (8 Dec 1623 - 11 Dec 1628 Appointed, Bishop of Senigallia)
Pietro Bonaventura (14 Mar 1629 - 23 Jul 1653 Died)
Flaminio Marcellino (21 Apr 1655 - 14 Mar 1677 Died)
Giacomo Fantuzzi (Elefantucci) (30 Aug 1677 - 29 Nov 1679 Died)
Pietro Francesco Orsini de Gravina, O.P. (22 Jan 1680 - 18 Mar 1686 Appointed, Archbishop of Benevento)
Jan Kazimierz Denhoff (10 Nov 1687 - 2 Jun 1697 Resigned)
Giovanni Fontana (bishop of Cesena) (3 Jun 1697 - 2 Mar 1716 Died)
Marco Battista Battaglini (8 Jun 1716 - 19 Sep 1717 Died)
Francesco Saverio Guicciardi (24 Jan 1718 - 18 Jan 1725 Died)
Giovanni Battista Orsi, C.O. (21 Mar 1725 - 15 Nov 1734 Resigned)
Guido Orselli (17 Nov 1734 - 18 Mar 1763 Died)
Francesco Agoselli (18 Jul 1763 - 8 Jan 1791 Died)
Carlo Bellisomi (22 Sep 1795 - 9 Aug 1808 Died)
Francesco Saverio Maria Felice Castiglioni (8 Mar 1816 - 4 Aug 1821 Appointed, Official of the Roman Curia)
Antonio Maria Cadolini, B. (19 Apr 1822 - 12 Feb 1838 Appointed, Bishop of Ancona e Numana)
Innocenzo Castracane degli Antelminelli (12 Feb 1838 - Jun 1848 Died)
Enrico Orfei (11 Sep 1848 - 23 Mar 1860 Appointed, Archbishop of Ravenna)
Vincenzo Moretti (23 Mar 1860 - 27 Mar 1867 Appointed, Bishop of Imola)
Paolo Bentini (27 Oct 1871 - 30 Nov 1881 Died)
Giovanni Maria Strocchi (27 Mar 1882 - 1887 Died)
Alfonso Maria Vespignani (1 Jun 1888 - 11 Feb 1904 Died)
Giovanni Cazzani (5 Aug 1904 - 19 Dec 1914 Appointed, Bishop of Cremona)
Fabio Berdini (4 Jun 1915 - 24 Jun 1926 Resigned)
Alfonso Archi (4 Mar 1927 - 4 Dec 1938 Died)
Beniamino Socche (4 Feb 1939 - 13 Feb 1946 Appointed, Bishop of Reggio Emilia)
Vincenzo Gili (22 Mar 1946 - 30 Nov 1954 Died)
Giuseppe Amici (1 Feb 1955 - 23 Dec 1956 Appointed, Archbishop of Modena e Nonantola)
Augusto Gianfranceschi (3 Feb 1957 - 28 May 1977 Retired)
Luigi Amaducci (28 May 1977 - 27 Oct 1990 Appointed, Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia)
30 September 1986: United with the Diocese of Sarsina to form the Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina
Lino Esterino Garavaglia, O.F.M. Cap. (25 Mar 1991 - 3 Dec 2003 Retired)
Antonio Lanfranchi (3 Dec 2003 - 27 Jan 2010 Appointed, Archbishop of Modena-Nonantola)
Douglas Regattieri (8 Oct 2010 - )
Gams, Pius Bonifatius (1873). Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae: quotquot innotuerunt a beato Petro apostolo. Ratisbon: Typis et Sumptibus Georgii Josephi Manz. (in Latin)
Eubel, Conradus (ed.) (1913). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 1 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. (in Latin)
Eubel, Conradus (ed.) (1914). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 2 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana.
Eubel, Conradus (ed.); Gulik, Guilelmus (1923). Hierarchia catholica, Tomus 3 (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana.
Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica IV (1592-1667). Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. Retrieved 2016-07-06. (in Latin)
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1952). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi V (1667-1730). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. (in Latin)
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi VI (1730-1799). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. (in Latin)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.
