The Diocese of San Miniato () is a
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
of the
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 ...
in
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
. It is 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
archdiocese of Florence
The Archdiocese of Florence () is a Latin Church metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy. .
["Diocese of San Miniato"]
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org
''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Latin Church and the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with Rome. The website, not officially sanctioned by the Church, is run as a private pro ...
''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 7 October 2016. ["Diocese of San Miniato"]
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
History
In 1248, San Genesio was completely destroyed. In 1397, the town was taken by
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
, and was placed under the control of a vicar appointed by the government of Florence. From 21 January 1529 to November 1530, San Miniato was attacked and besieged by Spanish forces. More than 300 inhabitants were killed.
From 1248, the Chapter of the collegiate church of San Genesio was transferred to
San Miniato
San Miniato is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany, Italy.
San Miniato sits at a historically strategic location atop three small hills where it dominates the lower Arno valley, between the valleys of the E ...
, and in 1527 the head of the Chapter was granted the privilege of wearing pontifical vestments, the mitre, and the use of the pastoral staff, inside the territory of San Miniato. In 1408, the
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence (; Old Italian: ), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flor ...
wished to have it made an episcopal see, being then a territory in the
archdiocese of Lucca, but the effort failed.
The situation changed when Maria Maddelena of Austria, the wife of Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany took up residence in S. Miniato, and made herself its patron. She successfully put pressure on Pope Gregory XV. On 5 December 1622, the town (''oppidum'') of San Miniato was raised to the dignity of a city (''civitas''), and was named the seat of a bishop by
Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV (; ; 9 January 1554 – 8 July 1623), born Alessandro Ludovisi, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 February 1621 until his death in 1623. He is notable for founding the Congregation for the ...
. The church of S. Maria and S. Genesius was elevated to the status of a cathedral.
The cathedral Chapter was to consist of two dignities (the Provost and the Archpriest) and twelve Canons. In 1755, there was only one dignity, and fourteen Canons.
The first bishop was
Francesco Nori (1624).
Diocesan synods
A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See.
[ John Paul II, Constitutio Apostolica ''de Synodis Dioecesanis Agendis'' (March 19, 1997)]
''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' 89
(1997), pp. 706-727.
Bishop
Alessandro Strozzi (1632–1648) held a diocesan synod on 1 December 1638. On 19 June 1685, Bishop
Michele Carlo Cortigiani (1683–1703) held a diocesan synod;
he held another on 3 October 1690;
and another on 15 September 1699.
Bishop Giovanni Francesco Maria Poggi, O.S.M. (1703–1719) held a diocesan synod on 21–22 May 1707.
Bishop Torello Romolo Pierazzi (1834–1851) held a diocesan synod in 1843.
Bishops
*
Francesco Nori (1624–1631)
*
Alessandro Strozzi (1632–1648)
*
Angelo Pichi (Pico) (1648–1653 Died)
*
Pietro Frescobaldi (1654–1655)
*
Giovanni Battista Barducci (1656–1661)
*
Mauro Corsi (1662–1680)
*
Giacomo Antonio Morigia,
B. (1681–1683)
*
Michele Carlo Visdomini Cortigiani (1683–1703)
[Cortigiani was born in Florence, and was Provost of the collegiate church of Emporio in the diocese of Florence. He was named Bishop of San Miniato on 24 March 1683 by Pope Innocent XI. In 1703 Cortigiani was appointed ]Bishop of Pistoia e Prato
The Diocese of Pistoia () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the Province of Florence. It has existed since the third century. From 1653 to 1954, the historic diocese was the diocese of Pistoia and Prato. The Diocese of Prato ha ...
. Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 269 with note 4.
*Giovanni Francesco Maria Poggi,
O.S.M. (1703–1719 Died)
*Andrea Luigi Cattani (1720–1734 Died)
*Giuseppe Suares de la Concha (1735–1754 Died)
*Domenico Poltri (1755–1778)
*Francesco Brunone Fazzi (1779–1806 Died)
*Pietro Fazzi (1806–1832 Died)
*Torello Romolo Pierazzi (1834–1851 Died)
*Francesco Marie Alli Maccarani (1854–1863 Died)
*Annibale Barabesi (1867–1897)
*
Pio Alberto del Corona,
O.P. (1897–1907 Retired)
*Carlo Falcini (1907–1928 Died)
*Ugo Giubbi (1928–1946 Died)
*Felice Beccaro (1946–1972 Died)
*Paolo Ghizzoni (1972–1986 Died)
*
Edoardo Ricci (1987–2004 Retired)
*
Fausto Tardelli (2004–2014 Appointed, Bishop of Pistoia)
*
Andrea Migliavacca (2015–2022 Appointed, Bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro)
[Migliavacca was born in Pavia on August 29, 1967, and was a priest of the diocese of Pavia. From 1991 to 1995 he was a student of the ]Pontifical Lombard Seminary
The Pontifical Lombard Seminary of Saints Ambrose and Charles in Urbe (Italian: ) is an ecclesiastical institution that serves as a residence for and trains diocesan priests who have been sent to Rome by their bishop to pursue an advanced degree or ...
in Rome, and he obtained his doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1996, with a thesis entitled: "Frequent Confession of Devotion. Theological-juridical study on the period between the Codes of 1917 and of 1983". He has taught canon law at the seminary of Pavia-Vigevano since 1996. He has been heavily involved in ''Azione Cattolica''. In 2001 he was appointed Rector of the diocesan seminary. In 2012 he was named a Canon in the cathedral of Pavia. He was appointed Bishop of San Miniato on 5 October 2015, and consecrated bishop in the Cathedral of Pavia on 9 December 2015. He made his formal entry into the diocese on 20 December 2015. He was appointed, Bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro by Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
in 2022. Diocesi di San Miniato
"Il Vescovo"
retrieved 4 June 2019.
*Giovanni Paccosi Carrai (24 Dec 2022– )
Notes and references
Bibliography
Reference for bishops
* p. 751. (in Latin)
* (in Latin)
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Studies
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{{authority control
San Miniato
San Miniato is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany, Italy.
San Miniato sits at a historically strategic location atop three small hills where it dominates the lower Arno valley, between the valleys of the E ...
Religious organizations established in the 1620s
San Miniato
San Miniato is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany, Italy.
San Miniato sits at a historically strategic location atop three small hills where it dominates the lower Arno valley, between the valleys of the E ...