Country Italy Parishes 314 Rite Roman Rite Cathedral Tortona Cathedral Phone +39 0383 368913 | Ecclesiastical province Genoa Denomination Catholic Church Area 2,350 km² Province Province of Pavia | |
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Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2014)
281,420
274,695 (97.6%) Address Via Mentana, 32, 27058 Voghera PV, Italy Similar La Fogliata, Agenzia Immobilia Duomo D, CHIESA DI POMBIO, Parrocchia di Spinetta Marengo, Vescovado Diocesi Di Vigevano | ||
The Diocese of Tortona (Latin: Dioecesis Derthonensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northern Italy, spanning parts of three regions of Piedmont (Province of Alessandria), Lombardy (Province of Pavia) and Liguria (Province of Genoa). It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Genoa and forms part of the ecclesiastical region of Liguria.
Contents
History
According to legend, which is, however, a late one, the first Bishop of Tortona was St. Martianus martyred under the Emperor Hadrian. It is certain that, in the first half of the fourth century, Tortona was subject to the diocese of Vercelli.
The first bishop, according to Fedele Savio, was St. Innocent, whom he believes was the predecessor of St. Exuperantius (381), the first of whom we have certain historical record, and who was highly praised in a sermon of Maximus of Turin. Few other names of bishops of the early period are known; but from the tenth century the list is more complete, comprising: Giseprandus (about 943), who was at the same time Abbot of Bobbio; Ottone (1080), a follower of the schism of Emperor Henry IV; Guido (1098), who went to Palestine; Bishop Pietro, one of those who in 1241 were made prisoners by Emperor Frederick II, while on their way to attend the Council of Rome.
Melchiorre Busseto who in 1284 was killed by the followers of William VII, Marquess of Montferrat, for which the marquess lost all his rights of patronage in the Diocese of Tortona, and was compelled, barefoot and clad in a shirt only, to walk from the scene of the bishop's murder to the cathedral.
In the time of Michele Marliano (1461) the body of St. Rochus was found at Voghera, which was the cause of a lengthy controversy with Arles, which possessed the relics of St. Rochus of Montpellier.
Uberto Gambara (1528), afterwards a cardinal, was always absent as papal legate or nuncio in Germany, and renounced the bishopric in favour of his relative Cesare Gambara (1548), present at the Council of Trent. Maffeo Gambara (1592) was a reformer, as was the Theatine Paolo Aresio (1620).
In 1805 the diocese was suppressed by the French Government and united with the diocese of Casale, and on its re-establishment in 1814 it was taken from the metropolitan see of Turin and made suffragan to Genoa.
Parishes
The 314 parishes of the diocese are listed by (civil) region, province and commune. In 2014 there was one priest for every 1,674 Catholics.