The former French Catholic diocese of Grasse was founded in the 4th or 5th century as the diocese of Antibes.David M. Cheney, Catholic-Hierarchy.org, Grasse (Diocese), retrieved: 2017-06-12. It was originally suffragan to the archbishop of Aix, and then to the archbishop of Embrun.Gallia christiana III, p. 1145. The see moved from Antibes to Grasse in 1244. It remained at Grasse Cathedral until the French Revolution. The diocese was suppressed by the Concordat of 1801, its territory passing to the diocese of Nice.

History

The city of Antibes was a colony of the Greek city of Massilia (Marseille). The Romans included it in the Alpes Maritimae. In church organization, Antibes belonged to the province of Alpes Maritimae, whose metropolitan was the archbishop of Aix.Gallia christiana I (Paris 1716), Notitia provinciarum (unpaginated prefatory matter). Its metropolitan later, before 1056, became the archbishop of Embrun.Gallia christiana III, Instrumenta p. 179.

The first known bishop of Antibes is Armentarius who attended the Council of Vaison in 442.

Louis DuchesneDuchesne (1907), Fastes épiscopaux I, p. 101 n. 2. Duchesne is certain he was not bishop of Aix. considered it possible that the Remigius, who signed at the Council of Nîmes in 396C. Munier, Concilia Galliae, A. 314 – A. 506 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), p. 51. and in 417 received a letter from Pope Zosimus,Nothing in the letter indicates Remigius' diocese. Zosimus was pope only in 417 and 418. may have been bishop of Antibes before Armentarius.In 1890, is clear that the first known bishop of Antibes was Armentarius. Ralph Matheson, however, believes that this Remigius was Remigius of Aix.

On 19 July 1244, Pope Innocent IV transferred the seat of the diocese from the port city of Antibes to the interior city of Grasse, due to a depopulation of Antibes and the repeated attacks of pirates, propter insalubritatem aeris et incursus piratorum.Gallia christiana III, p. 1145. gives a date of 19 July 1243, but the Pope was not at Genoa in 1243; he was at Anagni awaiting his coronation.

In 1181, King Alfonso II of Aragon granted Bishop Fulco of Antibes the seigneurial rights over the city of Antibes.Tisserant, p. 114.

The cathedral of Grasse was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and was supervised by a chapter composed of (originally) five dignities (provost, sacristan, archdeacon, 'capiscolo' [scholasticus] and archpriest) and four canons (one of whom was designated the Theologus). The office of provost, however, was abolished on 30 July 1692.Gallia christiana III, pp. 1160–1161. Cf. Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 211 note 1. In 1752 there were 5 dignities and 10 canons, according to Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 228 note 1. The office of archdeacon of Grasse was established by Bishop Bernardo de Castronovo on 16 May 1421.Gallia christiana III, p. 1169. The terms of the decree were revised on 4 March 1422.

The diocese of Grasse was suppressed by decree of the Legislative Assembly of France on 22 November 1790.Sénéquier, p. 46.

The arrondissement of Grasse was separated from the diocese of Fréjus in 1886, and given to the bishopric of Nice which since unites the three former dioceses of Nice, Grasse and Vence.

Bishops of Antibes

c. 442: ArmentariusArmentarius was present at the Council of Vaison in 442. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1146–1147. Gams, p. 554 column 2. C. Munier, Concilia Galliae, A. 314 – A. 506 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), p. 102: ex provincia secunda Narbboninsis civit. Antipolyt. Armentarius episcopus. c. 506–c. 529: AgroeciusAgroecius took part in the Council of Agde in 506, and he was represented at the provincial councils of 524 (De Clercq, p. 46) and 528. He did not appear, though summoned, at the Council of Carpentras in 527, for which he was censured. Munier, p. 213: Agricius in Christi nomen epsicopus de Antipole subscripsi. De Clercq, Concilia Galliae, A. 511 – A. 695 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), pp. 47, 50. Duchesne, p. 288 no. 2. c. 529–541: EucheriusEucherius was present at the Council of Orange on 3 July 529 (De Clercq, p. 64), the Council of Marseille on 26 May 533 (De Clercq, p. 85), the Council of Orléans on 23 June 533 (De Clercq, p. 102), and at the Council of Orléans on 14 May 541 (De Clercq, pp. 143, 146). Duchesne, p. 289 no. 3. 549 – 570  573: EusebiusEusebius was represented by the Deacon September at the Council of Orléans of 28 October 549 (De Clercq, p. 160). He was also present at the Council of Arles on 29 June 554 (De Clercq, p. 172). c. 573 – c. 585: OptatusOptatus was present at the Council of Paris on 11 September 573 (De Clercq, p. 214), and was represented at the Council of Mâcon in October 585 (De Clercq, p. 249). Duchesne, p. 289 no. 5. 614: EusebiusThe second Eusebius was present at the Council of Paris in 614. De Clercq, p. 281. Gams, p. 554 column 2. Duchesne, p. 289 no. 6. c. 647–653: DeocarusDeocarus was present at the Council of Chalon-sur-Saône (Cabilonense) in 650. De Clercq, p. 309. Gams, p. 554 column 2. Duchesne, p. 289 no. 7. 788: AutbertusAutbertus was present at the false Council of Narbonne in 788. J.-D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XIII (Florence: A. Zatta 1767), p. 824. Duchesne, p. 289 no. 8. [828: Heldebonus]The name of Bishop Heldebonus appears as signatory of a charter of 828, though his diocese is not named. It is assumed that he was Bishop of Antibes because the charter granted land to the monastery of Saint Vincent of Lerins, which was in the diocese of Antibes. But two other prelates also sign, Archbishop Notho of Arles and Archbishop Benedictus of Aix. Heldebonus' see is a matter of conjecture. Gallia christiana III, p. 1149. Gams, Gams, p. 554 column 2, doubts that he was a bishop of Antibes. [930: Aimarus]A search by the editors of Gallia christiana could produce no evidence for this name. Gallia christiana III, p. 1149. His existence is also questioned by Gams, p. 555 column 1, using both italics and a question mark. c. 987 – 1022: Bernardus (I.)Bernardus: Gallia christiana III, pp. 1149–1150. 1026 – c. 1050: Heldebertus (I.)Adelbert' uncle Rodoaldus was Count of Antibes. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1150–1151. 1056 – c. 1088: Gaufredus (I.)Geoffroy: Gallia christiana III, p. 1151. 1089 – 1093: Aldebertus (or Adelbertus II.)Aldebertus is attested in 1089 and 1093. The dates of his episcopacy are uncertain. Gallia christiana III, p. 1151. Gams, p. 555. c. 1110 – c. 1135: Manfredus GrimaldiManfredus is attested in 1110 (not 1100) and as late as 1134. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1151–1152. Gams, p. 555. Tisserant, p. 106. 1143: Gaufredus (II.)Gaufredus (II) (Geoffroy) is attested only in 1143 by a document of donation. Gallia christiana III, p. 1152. Gams, p. 555 column 1. 1146–1156: PetrusPierre: Gallia christiana III, pp. 1152–1153. Gams, p. 555 column 1, gives his date of death as 11 March 1155. 1158–ca. 1165: Raimond (I.)Raimond was already serving as bishop in 1158; his date of accession is not recorded. The latest reference to him is in 1163. Gallia christiana III, p. 1153. Gams, p. 555. 1166–1177: Bertrandus (I.)Bertrand was the recipient, on 5 August 1166, of the generosity of Berengarius III of Provence through the grant of two castles. He is attested as late as September 1176. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1153–1154. Gams, p. 555 column 1. 1178–1185: FulcoFulco (not Fredolus or Franciscus) was already in office in 1178. He participated in the Lateran Council of Pope Alexander III in March 1179. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXII (Venice: A. Zatta 1778), p. 465. Also in 1179 Fulco subscribed a treaty between the municipal authorities of Grasse and the city of Pisa. Tisserant, pp. 112–113. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1154–1155. Gams, p. 555 column 1. 1186–1187: Guillaume (I.)Guillaume is attested in 1186. Gallia christiana III, p. 1155. 1188–c. 1195: Raimond (II.) GrimaldiIn 1188 Raimond obtained a bull of protection from Pope Clement III. He ratified a land transfer in 1192. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1155–1156. 1199: OlivierOn 3 February 1199, Bishop Olivarius granted Guillaume, Abbot of Notre-Dame de Pratis, permission to build a church in a place called Sartolis. Gallia christiana III, p. 1156. c. 1208–c. 1211: Bertrandus (II.)Bertrandus (not Bernardus) is attested c. 1 November 1208 and 18 December 1211. Gallia christiana III, p. 1156. Gams, p. 555 column 1. Eubel, I, p. 267. c. 1212–c. 1215: Guillaume (Gausselin) de Saint-MarcelGallia christiana III, pp. 1156–1157. Gams, p. 555 column 1. Eubel, I, p. 267. 1218–1245?: Bertrand d'Aix, O.P.Bertrand died in December 1246. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1157–1159. Gams, p. 555 column 1. Eubel, I, p. 267.

Bishops of Grasse from 1245 to 1505

1246–1253 Raimond (III.) Villeneuve, O.P.Raimond was Bishop of Grasse by 3 January 1247. On 8 February 1253, the Archbishop of Embrun was ordered by Pope Innocent IV to receive the resignation of Bishop Raimond. Gallia christiana III, p. 1160. Tisserand, p. 110. Eubel, I, p. 267 note 3. c. 1255 PontiusPons: Gallia christiana III, p. 1161. Eubel, I, p. 267. 1258–1277 Guilelmus de BarrasGallia christiana III, p. 1162. Guillaume de Barras: Eubel, I, p. 267. c. 1281 – 1286 Pons d'ArcussiaPons: Gallia christiana III, pp. 1162–1163. Eubel, I, p. 267. 1287–1298 Lantelmus de Saint-MarcelLantelmus: Gallia christiana III, pp. 1163–1164. Eubel, I, p. 267. 1298–1299 Guillaume AgarniGuillaume was the Procurator of King Charles II of Sicily in the Roman Curia. Guillaume's bulls were issued on 25 October 1298. Gallia christiana III, p. 1164. Eubel, I, p. 267. 1299–1343 Geoffroy (III.)Gaufredus' bulls were issued on 15 July 1299. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1164–1165. Eubel, I, p. 267. 1343–1348 Pierre de Béreste 1348–1349 Jean Coci (Peyroleri) 1349–1374 Amédée 1374–1379 Aimar de La VoulteAdemar de la Voulte was previously Bishop of Limasol (Crete) (1367–1374). He was transferred to Grasse on 9 October 1374. He was then transferred to the See of Marseille on 1 June 1379 by Pope Clement VII (Avignon Obedience). Eubel, I, pp. 267, 330, 367. 1379–1382 Artaud de MélanBishop Artaud had previously been Bishop of Forli (1372–1379). He was appointed to the diocese of Grasse by Urban VI (Roman Obedience), and the appointment was confirmed by Pope Clement VII (Avignon Obedience) on 1 June 1379. He was transferred to the diocese of Sisteron on 2 May 1382 by Clement VII. In 1404 he was transferred to Arles. Eubel, I, pp. 253, 267 with note 9, 454. 1383–1388 Thomas de Jarente (Avignon Obedience)Thomas of S. Marco di Puppio (diocese of Arezzo). He is called bishop-elect in a document of 21 July 1382. Eubel states that he was transferred to the diocese of Orvieto in 1388/1389; this would have been a titular appointment, since Orvieto was in the hands of Urban VI. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1167–1168. Eubel, I, p. 267 with note 10. Mar–Oct 1389 Milon Provana, O.Min. (Avignon Obedience)Milo Provana was provided with his bulls on 5 March by Pope Clement VII (Avignon Obedience), and died in October, while still in the Curia in Avignon. Eubel, I, p. 267. 9 Oct 1389 – 1392 Jacques GraillierJacques Graillier went over to the Roman Obedience. Clement VII tried to remove him from the diocese of Grasse by naming him titular Bishop of Sidon (Lebanon), but Jacques refused to leave Grasse. A successor, Pierre Bonnet, was appointed on 29 February 1392. On 31 January 1392, Queen Maria, duchess of Apulia and countess of Province, ordered her officials not to obey Bishop Jacques, but to expel him from her domains. Gallia christiana III, pp. 1168–1169. Eubel, I, p. 267, note 11. 29 February 1392 – 1407 Pierre Bonnet (Avignon Obedience)Bonnet: Gallia christiana III, pp. 1168–1169. Eubel, I, p. 267, notes 11 and 12.