Minervino Murge ( ) is a town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'', former bishopric and present Latin Catholic

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 archbi ...

in the administrative

province of Barletta-Andria-Trani The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani () is a provinces of Italy, province in the Apulia region of Italy. The establishment of the province took effect in June 2009, and Andria was appointed as its seat of government on 21 May 2010. It was creat ...

in the region of

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

in southern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, lying on the western flank of the Murgia Barese mountain chain. It assumed its present name in 1836, formerly known as just Minervino (with namesakes). It is south of Canosa di Puglia and north of Spinazzola, in the Alta Murgia National Park. The town's economy is based mainly on agriculture and herding. The karstic geology of the area has conditioned its main crops: grapes, olives, wheat, and almonds.

Ecclesiastical History

* Established circa 900 as Diocese of Minervino (Italian) / Minerbium (Latin), with only two municipal components : Minervino itself and

Montemilone Montemilone (; Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, Basilicata, southern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists ...

(now in the administrative

province of Potenza The province of Potenza (; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza. Geography It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are 100 ''comuni'' (singular: ''com ...

). * The see is documented first in a

papal bulla A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden seal ('' bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal bulls have been in use at l ...

in 1025 by

Pope John XIX Pope John XIX (; died October 1032), born Romanus, was the Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1024 to his death. He belonged to the family of the powerful Counts of Tusculum, succeeding his brother, Benedict VIII. Papal relatio ...

to archbishop Bisanzio of Bari, specifying the jurisdictions under the Metropolitan

Archbishop of Bari The Archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto () is Metropolitan Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the administrative Bari province, Puglia (Apulia) region, southeastern Italy (the 'Heel'), created in 1986, when the historical diocese of Bitonto wa ...

, but the document is disputed * Locals tradition and a list of incumbents in the episcopal palace starts the

apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the method whereby the Christian ministry, ministry of the Christian Church is considered by some Christian denominations to be derived from the Twelve Apostles, apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been ...

with Bisanzio in 1069, but he may well have been bishop of

Lavello Lavello ( Potentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata of southern Italy; it is located in the middle Ofanto valley. History The area of Lavello was settled in prehistoric times, as attested by fi ...

instead * The bishopric was a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

of the Metropolitan of

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

no later than 1152, if not from the start, but disputed papal bullas suggest it may have been suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Trani The Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani in Apulia. Formerly a metropolitan see, in 1980 it became a suffragan ...

before * Suppressed on 1818.06.27, its territory being merged into the

Diocese of Andria The Diocese of Andria () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Apulia, seated at Andria Cathedral which is built over a church dedicated to St. Peter, about ten miles southwest of Trani. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bari-Biton ...

; however in 1976, the ''comune''

was transferred to the

Diocese of Venosa The Italian Catholic diocese of Venosa, in southern Italy, existed until 1986. In that year it was united into the Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa. From 1976 to 1986, Venosa had been a suffragan of the archdiocese of Potenza e Marsico Nuovo. Hi ...

Residential Ordinaries

;''Suffragan Bishops of Minervino'' :''First centuries unavailable or incomplete'' * Ignatius = Innazio (recorded in 1071) * Mandus ? (in 1102) * Johannes = Giovanni (in 1122) * Maraldo (? - 1171/1177 deposed) * apparently the see was vacant in 1179 as the see wasn't represented at the

Third Council of the Lateran The Third Council of the Lateran met in Rome in March 1179. Pope Alexander III presided and 302 bishops attended. The Catholic Church regards it as the eleventh ecumenical council. By agreement reached at the Peace of Venice in 1177 the bitt ...

* Leopardo (first in 1180 - till 1197) * Riccardo,

Benedictine Order The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

(O.S.B.) (first in 1215 - after 1219) 2* An anonymous incumbent (in 1234) * Pietro di Cerignola (16 March 1255 - 13 March 1256), next

Bishop-elect A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Canne 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

2* Biviano (first 1271 - till 1276) 2* Antonio di Gaeta,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

(O.P.) (1298 - ?) * Trasmondo (in 1310) * Giacomo (in 1321) * Rainaldo di Provenza (1344 – 1352) * Lorenzo (1353.11.14 – 1365) * Leonardo Arnini (1426.08.23 – death 1433) * Sancio (1433.01.14 – 1434), previously Bishop of

Diocese of Civita The Roman Catholic Diocese of Civita(-Tempio) was a Latin Catholic bishopric in the Gallura region of northern Sardinia (Tyrrhenian Sea, southwestern Italy). It was heir to the ancient diocese of Pausania or Phausania () (6th to 8th? century), res ...

(Italy) (? – 1433.01.14) * Goffredo (1434.09.15 – death 1456) * Giovanni Campanella,

(O.S.B.) (1456.04.13 – death 1478?) * Marino Cieri (1478.10.05 – death 1491?) * Roberto de Noya,

(O.P.) (1492.01.23 – 1497.05.15), next Bishop of

Acerra Acerra () is a town and ''comune'' of Campania, southern Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, about northeast of the capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain. History Acerra is one of the most ancient cities of the regi ...

(Italy) (1497.05.15 – 1504.04.15), Bishop of

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

(insular

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

) (1504.04.15 – death 1515) * Marino Falconi (1497.04.17 – death 1525) * Antonio Sassolino,

Conventual Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (O.F.M. Conv.) is a male religious fraternity in the Catholic Church and a branch of the Franciscan Order. Conventual Franciscan Friars are identified by the affix O.F.M. Conv. after their names. They are ...

(O.F.M. Conv.) (1525.07.21 – 1528), previously

Superior general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of an 'order' of religious persons (nuns, priests, friars, etc) or, in other words, of a 'religious institute' in the Catholic Church, and in some other Christian denominations. The super ...

of the

Conventual Franciscans The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (O.F.M. Conv.) is a male religious fraternity in the Catholic Church and a branch of the Franciscan Order. Conventual Franciscan Friars are identified by the affix O.F.M. Conv. after their names. They are ...

* Bernardino Fumarelli (1528.08.07 – 1529.08.16), next Bishop of Alife (Italy) (1529.08.16 – 1532.11.04), Bishop of

Sulmona Sulmona (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of L'Aquila, in the Italy, Italian region of Abruzzo. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in prehistoric times. In the ancient era, it was ...

(Italy) (1532.11.04 – 1547.06.05), Bishop of Valva (Italy) (1532.11.04 – death 1547.06.05) * Giovanni Francesco de Marellis (1529.08.16 – death 1536) * Gian Vincenzo Micheli (1545.03.02 – death 1596 as centenarian), participant at the

Tridentine Council The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most im ...

(1545-1563), previously Bishop of

(1539.05.30 – 1545.03.02) * Lorenzo Monzonís Galatina, O.F.M. (1596.06.21 – 1605), next

Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

of Archdiocese of Valencia (Spain) (1605 – 1610.01.27), Archbishop of

Lanciano Lanciano (; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It has 33,944 inhabitants as of 2023. The town is known for the first recorded Catholic Church, Catholic Miracle of Lanciano, Eucharis ...

(Italy) (1610.01.27 – 1617.11.20),

Archbishop-Bishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

of Diocese of Pozzuoli (Italy) (1617.11.20 – death 1630.02.11) * Giacomo Antonio Caporali (1606.01.09 – 1616), consecrated the rebuilt cathedral * Altobello Carissimi (1617.01.30 – death 1632) * Giovanni Michele Rossi,

Carmelite Order The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

(O. Carm.) (1633.01.12 – death 1633.04.11) * Gerolamo Maria Zambeccari, O.P. (1633.04.11 – 1635), previously Bishop of Alife (Italy) (1625.04.07 – 1633.04.11) * Antonio Maria Pranzoni (1635.05.06 – death 1663) * Francesco Maria Vignola (1663.09.24 – death 1700) * Marcantonio Chenevix (1702.11.20 – death 1717.07) * Nicola Pignatelli (1719.02.09 – death 1734.10.28) * Fabio Troyli (1734.12.01 – 1751.02.01), next Bishop of

Catanzaro Catanzaro (; or ; ), also known as the "City of the two Seas" (), is an Italian city of 86,183 inhabitants (2020), the capital of the Calabria region and of its province and the second most populated comune of the region, behind Reggio Calabr ...

(Italy) (1751.02.01 – death 1762.08.01) * Stefano Gennaro Spani (1751.03.15 – death 1776.04) * Pietro Silvio Di Gennaro (1776.07.15 – 1779.07.12), next Bishop of

Venosa Venosa (Neapolitan language, Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, in the Vulture area. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Ginestra, Lavello, Maschito, Montemilone, Pala ...

(Italy) (1779.07.12 – death 1786) * Pietro Mancini (1792.02.27 – death 1808).

Titular see

The diocese was nominally restored in 1968 as Latin

Titular bishopric 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 ...

of Minervino Murge (Curiate Italian) / Minervium (Latin) / Minerbinen(sis) (Latin). It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank : * Ramón Torrella Cascante (1968.10.22 – 1983.04.11) as

Archdiocese of Barcelona The Archdiocese of Barcelona () is a Latin Church, Latin Metropolitan bishop, metropolitan archbishopric of the Catholic Church in northeastern Spain's Catalonia region. The cathedral archiepiscopal see is a Minor basilica: Catedral Basílica ...

(Spain) (1968.10.22 – 1970.11.06); later

Roman Curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...

official : Vice-president of Council of the Laity (1970.11.06 – 1974.03.06), vice-president of Pontifical Commission of Justice and Peace (1970.11.06 – 1975.12.20), vice-president of

Pontifical Council “Cor unum” The Pontifical Council ''Cor Unum'' (One Heart) for Human and Christian Development was a pontifical council of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church from 1971 to 2016. History ''Cor Unum'' was established by Pope Paul VI on 15 July 1971. It ...

(1971.07.22 – 1975.12.20), vice-president of Secretariat for Christian Unity (1975.12.20 – 1983.04.11), vice-president of

Council of European Bishops’ Conferences The Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (; CCEE) is a conference of the presidents of the 33 Roman Catholic episcopal conferences of Europe, the Archbishop of Luxembourg, the Archbishop of Monaco, Maronite Catholic Archeparch of Cyprus ...

(1983 – 1993), then Metropolitan Archbishop of

Archdiocese of Tarragona The Archdiocese of Tarragona () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Tarragona, part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The archdiocese heads the ecclesiastical province of Tarragon ...

(Spain) (1983.04.11 – retired 1997.02.20), died 2004 * Ryszard Karpiński (1985.09.28 – ...), as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Lublin (Poland) (1985.09.28 – 2011.12.31) and on emeritate.

City sights

Former Cathedral of Mary Assumed

* The medieval former cathedral, now Chiesa S. Maria Assunta, was built under Norman rule, but mostly rebuilt from 1519 until the consecration on 30 August 1608 by bishop Giacomo Antonio Caporali (1606.01.09 – 1616). * A document from 1667 specifies it has 43 ecclesiastical officials, including an archdeacon, an

archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogo ...

, a

primicerius The Latin term ''primicerius'', Hellenized as ''primikērios'' (), was a title applied in the later Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire to the heads of administrative departments, and also used by the Church to denote the heads of various colleg ...

, a

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

, 10

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

s, 26 other priests, a deacon and two

subdeacon Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

Other sights

* The castle (14th century), later remade as a ''palazzo'' * The Baroque church of the ''Immacolata Concezione'' * A 15th-century tower * Not far are the Caves of Altamura.

Twin towns

Sagliano Micca Sagliano Micca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about north of Biella. Sagliano Micca borders the following municipalities: Andorno Micca, Biella, Fo ...

, Italy, since 2009

Sources and external links

Minervino-Murge.Com

* ttp://www.gcatholic.org/churches/italy/5729.htm GCatholic, with Google satellite photo/map - former cathedral: Bibliography - ecclesiastical history * Ferdinando Ughelli, ''Italia sacra'', vol. VII, second edition, Venice 1721, coll. 745-748 * Michele Garruba, ''Serie critica de' Sacri Pastori Baresi'', Tipografia Fratelli Cannone, Bari 1844, pp. 965–966 * Giuseppe Cappelletti, ''Le Chiese d'Italia dalla loro origine sino ai nostri giorni'', Venice 1870, vol. XXI, pp. 82–85 * Paul Fridolin Kehr, ''Italia Pontificia'', vol. IX, Berlin 1962, p. 344 * Norbert Kamp, ''Kirche und Monarchie im staufischen Königreich Sizilien'', vol. 2, ''Prosopographische Grundlegung: Bistümer und Bischöfedes Königreichs 1194 - 1266; Apulien und Kalabrien'', Münich 1975, pp. 640–642 * Pius Bonifacius Gams, ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, pp. 897–898 * Konrad Eubel, ''Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi'', vol. 1, p. 343; vol. 2, pp. XXXI, 193; vol. 3, p. 245; vol. 4, p. 243; vol. 5, p. 269; vol. 6, p. 290 * Papal Bulla 'De utiliori', in ''Bullarii Romani continuatio'', Vol. XV, Rome 1853, pp. 56–61 * ''Cronotassi dei vescovi di Minervino'', pp. 45–47 {{authority control Hilltowns in Apulia Castles in Italy