The Archdiocese of Oristano () is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Sardinia, Italy. It was created in the eleventh century. Its only suffragan is the Diocese of Ales-Terralba.
History
The judiciate of Arborea is already known by 1073, when the Iudex Orzocor is appealed to by the newly elected Pope Gregory VII for fealty and support for the Roman Church. An archbishopric is not mentioned.Kehr, p. 380, no. 29. He is not to be confused with another Orzocor, who was Iudex of Cagliari at the same time: "Gregorius VII Mariano Turrensi, Orzocco Arborensi, item Orzocco Caralitano, Constantino Callurensi iudicibus Sardiniae...." According to the Cronaca di Saccargia, the Iudex, the bishop, and the people had just ( 1070) abandoned the ancient TarrhosFor the Punic and Roman periods, see: Attilio Mastino, Urban and Rural Life in Roman Sardinia (Cambridge: CUP 2025), Chapter 3, pp. 101-116. and moved to Arborea.Pietro Martini, Storia ecclesiastica di Sardegna Vol. 1 (Cagliari: Stamperia reale 1839), pp. 247-248: "La enumerazione nella cronaca di Saccargia di varie chiese vescovili, non prima mentovate in queste pagine, conduce di per sè a trattare dell'alta gerarchia ecclesiastica dell'isola nei tempi di mezzo.... Arborea, oppure d' Oristano, così denominato, dacchè abbandonata l'antica Tarrhos e le sue ruine, il giudice Onroco col vescovo, col clero e col popolo si trasferivano dopo la metà del secolo XI nella stessa città d'Oristano, che dal suo nascere diventava novella capitale del giudicato di Arborea. The Cronaca is the only source for this event; cf. the Cronaca di Ploaghe, which is a forgery (Foerster, p. 230, note 2). On the victimization of Martini by forgers, and the scandal of the "Codices of Arborea,: see: Wendelin Foerster, "Sulla questione dell'autenticità dei Codici di Arborea. Esame paleografico," (Torino: Carlo Clausen 1905) [extract of: Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, Serie II Vol. 55 (Febbraio 1905), pp. 220-254.
Pope Urban II (1088–1099) granted the Church of Arborea his protection; this grant was confirmed by Pope Eugenius III (1145–1153), and by Pope Honorius III in 1224.Kehr, p. 454, no. 1. Pietro Pressutti, Regesta Honorii Papae III Vol. 2 (Roma: Typ. Vaticana 1895), p. 256, no. 5039.
An archbishop is credited by the Condaghe de sa Abadia de sa SS. Trinidate de Saccargia with participating in the consecrating of its church on 5 October 1116. The archbishop, who is unnamed, is identified as the su archiepiscopu de Oristanis rather than Arborea, an obvious anachronism, indicating that the reference does not come from an original document.Tola, Codex diplomaticus Sardiniae Vol. 1 (Turin 1861), pp. 192-194; part of a more extensive Cronaca di Saccagia. Tola (note 8) also notes that the word JESUS is a 17th century addition: "La parola Jesus sembra un' aggiunta fatta dal copista del diploma originale, come vi aggiunse poco innanzi la notizia, che la chiesa di Saccargia era stata ristaurata dal re cattolico Filippo III." It has been said that the condaghe is actually a late compilation arranged on a historical skeleton.Carlo Aru, review of Dionigio Scano, in: Archivio stroico sardo vol. 4 (1907), pp. 233-247, at p. 241: "[Scano's dating of the church] si fonda sull'autorità di un condaghe, già pubblicato dal Tola, che giudica una tarda compilazione su di una ossatura storica." Scano "accetta questa documentazione senza discuterla, solo sfrondandola di quanto l'annalista ci ha raccontato per glorificare l'origine miracolosa della Chiesa."
By 1157, the archbishops of Arborea already had a palace in the town of Oristano.Kehr, p. 447. Codex diplomaticus Sardiniae Vol. 1, p. 220, no. 64: "Actum in ARISTANO apud ecclesiam Sanctae Dei Genitricis Mariae archyepiscopatus Arboreae in palatio archyepiscopi eiusdem ecclesiae...."
The city of Arborea was destroyed by Pisan forces in April 1164. The attack was led by Parasson, the Judex of Torres and his Pisan brothers and uncle, and by Peter, the Judex of Cagliari, the brother of Parasson of Torres. They burned the palaces, the homes, and anything else that was combustible; they carried off men, women and spoils. The Judex of Arborea fled to the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa; he also promised the Genoese that he would turn over the entire island of Sardinia. The emperor sent his legates and eight galleys to Arborea.Cappelletti, p. 227. Ludovico ANtonio Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores Vol. VI (Milan: Typ. Palatina in curia regia 1725), pp. 175-176.
Pisan ecclesiastical control
In a bull of 11 April 1176, Pope Alexander III confirmed privileges granted by Innocent II and Hadrian IV, granting the archbishops of Pisa the status of primate of the ecclesiastical province of Torres.Kehr, pp. 382-383, nos. 40 and 46. In 1176, the pope extended the status of primate over the provinces of Cagliari and Arborea, which included the right to summon bishops in those provinces to his councils and synods, the right to correct their excesses, and the right to have them adhere to apostolic doctrine. The primates could not, however, summon the archbishops to councils in Pisa without the permission of the pope.Kehr, p. 384, no. 50. In October 1186, Pope Urban III confirmed the privileges granted to the archbishops of Pisa.Philippus Jaffé, Regesta pontificum Romanorum Vol. 2, second edition (Leipzig: Veit 1888), p. 506, no. 15685.
At the end of the 12th century, the Liber Censuum indicates that the Church of Arborea owed an annual payment of 6 livres of silver.Kehr, p. 453.
On 24 April 1296, Pope Boniface VIII united the dioceses of Arborea (Oristano) and Tyre.Cappelletti, p. 228. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 101, note 1.
Chapter and cathedral Archbishop Torgotorio de Muru (1224–1253) erected the cathedral in Oristano, from 1225 to 1228, and dedicated it to the taking up of the body of the Virgin Mary into heaven. The building had a nave and four aisles, and five chapels.Salvatore Angelo Scintu, Raccolta di memorie d'Arborea (Oristano: Tip. Arborense 1873), pp. 38-40. It stood for five hundred years until, in a state of near collapse, a rebuilding was begun by Archbishop Nin in 1729.Scintu, pp. 96-97. The cathedral was served and administered by a corporation called the Chapter, which consisted of the Archpriest and twenty-two canons, each with a prebend.Mattei, Sardinia sacra, p. 237, column 2.
Aragonese Sardinia On 4 April 1297, Pope Boniface VIII issued the bull "Ad honorem Dei," accepting the feudal fealty of James II of Aragon, and investing him with the fiefs of Sardinia and Corsica. In return, the kings of Aragon promised annual subsidies in gold and troops. The arrangement was confirmed by Pope Clement V on 31 May 1309.Caesar Baronius (ed. Augustinus Theiner), Annales Ecclesiastici Vol. 23 (Bar-le-Duc: Guérin 1871), pp. 199-203, §§ 1-16; pp. 442-443, §24. Martini, Storia ecclesiastica II, pp. 72-75. It took several campaigns, over a quarter of a century, for the Aragonese to drive the Pisans out of Sardinia.Michele Antonio Gazano, Storia di Sardinia Vol. 2 (Cagliari: Reale Stamperia 1777), pp. 8-34.
In the thirteenth century, the archdiocese of Arborea had three suffragan (subordinate) dioceses: Ales (Usellus), Santa Giusta, and Terralba.Eubel I, p. 541, Sardinia no. 3. Cappelletti, p. 228.
Synods Archbishop Oddo of Arborea held a synod in 1309.Martini III, p. 378, note 2. Archbishop Pietro Serra De Munoz (1510–1517) held a provincial synod.Martini II, p. 233. In 1566, Archbishop Gerolamo Barbera(no) (1566–1571) presided over a synod of the province of Arborea, in which the need for theological teaching and the creation of a priestly seminary was discussed.These ideas came directly from recent decrees of the Council of Trent. Martini II, p. 270. Archbishop Pietro de Vico (1641–1657) held a diocesan synod in 1656. Archbishop Pietro de Alagon (1672–1685) presided over a diocesan synod in 1684.Leyes synodales del Arçobispado arborense estatuydas y promulgadas el la synodo que en su Ssanta metropolitana iglesia celebrò el illustrissimo y reverendissimo Senor Don Pedro de Alagon (Cagliari: En la emprenta del Doct. Don Hylario Galcerin por Nicolàs Pisà 1684). A diocesan synod was held from 22 to 24 April 1708 by Archbishop Francesco Masones (1704–1717), and another in 1712.Martini II, p. 451. Leyes synodales del Arzobispado de Arborea, y Obispado de Santa Jvsta, (Cagliari: mpr. del R. Convento de Domingo, por R. Gelabert 1712). Archbishop Antonio Nin (1726–1740) held a diocesan synod, perhaps in 1740.Scintu, p. 100. Archbishop Luigi Emanuele de Carretto (1746–1772) held a diocesan synod.Cappelletti, p. 241.
Suppression of Santa Giusta
In the second half of the 15th century, several dioceses on the island of Sardinia were in difficulties due to financial shortages, as well as the movements of peoples. After extensive consultations with Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile had taken place,Julius II, "Aequum Reputamus" (p. 168, col. 2: "volens charissimi in Christo filii nostri, tunc sui, Ferdinandi regis et clarissimae in christo filiae nostrae, tunc suae, Elisabethae Regum Hispaniarum, et Sardiniae illustrium , id summopere, prout eidem Praedecessori nostro per eorum litteras significaverunt, desiderantium, votis annuere; habita super iis cum eisdem Fratribus suis deliberatione matura, et de ipsorum consilio...." plans were advanced to consolidate the troubled dioceses. Pope Alexander VI died, however, before the decisions were announced or implemented. After additional consultations, Pope Julius II, on 8 December 1503, in the bull "Aequum Reputamus," united the diocese of Santa Giusta with the archdiocese of Arborea (Oristano).Pasquale Tola, Codex diplomaticus Sardiniae Vol. 2 (Turin: e regio typographeo 1868) [Historiae patriae monvmenta, Volume 17], pp. 168-170, with note 3: "...Calaritanae Dolien., et Turritanae Sorren., et Plovacen., necnon Arborensi Sanctae Justae, et Othanensi Bisarquien., et Castren., nec non Usellensi Terralben. Ecclesias, ac eisdem de Alguer, et Ampuriensi de Castel Genoves Parrocchiales, ac Monasteria, nec non Sulcitanen. Ecclesiis Canonicatus ac Praebendas hujusmodi cum annexis, et omnibus juribus et pertinentiis suis authoritate Apostolica sub datum videlicet pridie Idus aprilis, Pontificatus sui anno decimo, perpetuo univit, annexit, et incorporavit." Martini, Storia ecclesiaastica di Sardegna II (1840), pp. 219-220. Buonaiutti, p. p. 283.
The abolition and transfer did not take effect immediately.Cappelletti, p. 247. Kehr, p. 453. In 1512 and 1513, at the Fifth Lateran Council (1512–1517), the archbishop is still Archbishop of Arborea. Pope Leo X issued a bull on 15 July 1515, confirming the bull of Pope Julius II. The titulature became "Archbishop of Oristano and Bishop of Santa Giusta."Angelo Scintu, Raccolta di memorie d'Arborea (Oristano: Tip. Arborense 1873), p. 153, and an example at p. 104.
Archbishop Pietro Serra De Munoz attended five sessions of the Fifth Lateran Council, between 10 December 1512 and 17 December 1513.J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, , Vol. 32 (Venice: [reprint: Paris: Hubert Welter 1901]), pp. 744, 763, 786, 807, 828.
Developments of 18th century Soon after his appointment in November 1726, Archbishop Antonio Nin became aware of the perilous condition of the cathedral. By 1729, the edifice seemed in danger of collapse, and the archbishop therefore took counsel with the cathedral Chapter, which agreed on the urgency of the situation, and architects were brought from Cagliari and Alghero to inspect the cathedral. Consensus was easily reached that the old cathedral could not be repaired, and that a new building was necessary. Structural work was completed by 1739, and decoration by 1742.Scintu, pp. 97-98.