Negrine is a town and commune in

Tébessa Province Tébessa () is a provinces of Algeria, province (''wilayah'') of Algeria. Tébessa is also the name of the capital, which in ancient times it was known as ''Theveste''. Another important city is El Ouenza. Tébessa is located only 20 kilometers w ...

in north-eastern

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

. It was the site of ancient Casae Nigrae, a settlement of Roman North Africa with an attached bishopric that remains a 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 ...

Geography

Negrine is located in the Negrine District of the sahara of Tébessa Province, NE Algeria. It is north of the Chott el Ghasa, near the borders of

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

n border and has an elevation of above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. The village population was 9445 inhabitants in 2008. The landscape is generally arid and the topography is generally flat, interspersed with long low

mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...

s transecting the countryside. Average annual rainfall is between with the winter being the main wet season. Average temperatures range from in winter to in July.

History

During prehistoric times Negrine was within the Capsian cultural area, which lasted from BC to 5400 BC.

Snail shell The gastropod shell is part of the body of many gastropods, including snails, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium ...

s and piles of ash which include mixed tools and kitchen refuse are some of the defining cultural elements of the Capsian culture, as well as engraved

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds. Two living species are recognised, the common ostrich, native to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Somali ostrich, native to the Horn of Africa. They are the heaviest and largest living birds, w ...

eggs. Negrine was known as Casae Nigrae during the time of the

Roman 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 ...

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

and

Vandal The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vandal ...

empires (30 BC – AD 640). It was located in the province of

Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

, North Africa. Casae Nigrae was also known as Nigrenses Maiores during this period. There are extensive Roman ruins in the desert between Negrine and Tebessa, Algeria. The area was incorporated into the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

in the 7th century and today the area is home to the Nemencha, a tribe of

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

extraction.

Ecclesiastical history

The town was the seat of one of many

suffragan bishopric 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 by ...

s in

during Roman and Vandal times. It was the birthplace of

Donatus Magnus Donatus Magnus, also known as Donatus of Casae Nigrae, was the leader of a schismatic Christian sect known as the Donatists in North Africa, Algeria. He is believed to have died in exile around 355. Life Little is known of his early life becau ...

, the founder and namesake of the Donatist Church, and the Donatist movement was influential in the town. Christian influence, however, effectively ended after the Muslim conquest of the 640s AD. Known residential bishops include : * Donatus the Great (fl. 311–312), founder of the schismatic heretical

Donatist Donatism was a schism from the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Carthage from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and their prayers and sacraments to ...

movement * Ianvarianus (fl. 394–411), a Donatist bishop * Felix (fl. 484), a Catholic bishop

Titular see

In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as a 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 ...

in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, named Casæ nigræ (Latin) / Case nere (Curiate Italian). It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank: * Francis Costantin Mazzieri

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.) (26 Nov. 1965 – retired 14 Dec. 1970), on emeritate as former only

Apostolic Prefect An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia in terms of size and population, with a population of 627,503 (''2022 census''), after the capital, Lusaka, and Kitwe, and the second largest in terms of infrastructure development after Lusaka. It is the I ...

(

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

) (1938 – 1949.01.13), promoted only

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

(1949.01.13 – 1959.04.25) and Titular Bishop of Cœliana (1949.01.13 – 1959.04.25), again promoted first Suffragan Bishop of

(1959.04.25 – 1965.11.26); died 1983 * Michael Patrick Olatunji Fagun (28 June 1971 – 30 July 1972) as

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 Ondo (Nigeria) (1971.06.28 – 1972.07.30); later only Bishop of

Ado-Ekiti Ado Ekiti is the capital city of Ekiti State, Nigeria. It is the Headquarters, headquarter of the Ekiti central senatorial district, Points of the compass, southwest, Nigeria. History Ado Ekiti is an ancient city, founded by Ewi Awamaro the ...

(

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

) (1972.07.30 – 1972.12.11), restyled first Bishop of Ekiti (Nigeria) (1972.12.11 – retired 2010.04.17) *

Heriberto Correa Yepes Heriberto Correa Yepes (August 6, 1916 – September 9, 2010) was a Colombian Prelate of Roman Catholic Church. He was born in Cedeño, Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South A ...

Yarumal Society for the Foreign Missions Yarumal is a municipality in the Antioquia Department, Colombia. The municipality (three parishes and 20 villages) has an area of . The population was 41,542 at the 2018 census. Its average elevation is above sea level. It has a minor basilica, ...

(M.X.Y.)(29 Jan. 1973 – death 9 Sept. 2010) as Apostolic Vicar of Buenaventura (

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

) (1973.01.29 – 1996.11.30) and on emeritate; previously Apostolic Prefect of

Mitú Mitú () is the capital town of the department of Vaupés in Colombia. It is a small town located in South eastern Colombia in the Amazon Basin. Founded in 1936, Mitú lies next to the Vaupés River at 180 meters above sea level. It is where th ...

(Colombia) (1953.03.27 – 1967) * José Carlos Chacorowski,

Lazarists The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vincentian Family, ...

(C.M.) (22 Dec. 2010 – 19 June 2013), as Auxiliary Bishop of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (2010.12.22 – 2013.06.19); later Bishop of

Caraguatatuba Caraguatatuba, widely known by its abbreviation ''Caraguá'', is a city in the eastern part of the southern state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 123,389 (2020 ...

(Brazil) (2013.06.19 – ...) * Robert Anthony Llanos (13 July 2013 – ...)Le Petit Episcopologe, Issue 215, Number 17,868. as Auxiliary Bishop of

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

(

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

) (2013.07.13 – ...); 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 Saint John’s–Basseterre (

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda is a Sovereign state, sovereign archipelagic country composed of Antigua, Barbuda, and List of islands of Antigua and Barbuda, numerous other small islands. Antigua and Barbuda has a total area of 440 km2 (170 sq mi), ...

) (2016.04.29 – ...).

References

Sources and external links