The Diocese of Mondovì () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in the Ecclesiastical Region of Piedmont in Italy. Its 192 parishes are divided between the Province of Savona in the (civil) region Liguria and the Province of Cuneo in the (civil) region Piedmont.chiesacattolica.it, (retrieved:2008-03-11) The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Turin."Diocese of Mondovi" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Diocese of Mondovi" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
History
The town, then called Monsvici or Monteregale, was a part of the diocese of Asti until 1198, when it established itself as a commune.Grassi, I, p. v-vi. The commune had a podestà.Grassi, II, p. 45, a treaty between the commune of Mons Regalis and the Marchesi di Ceva, 7 August 1250.
The diocese of Mondovi was established during the Great Schism by Pope Urban VI of the Roman Obedience, in the papal Bull, Salvator Noster of 8 June 1388.Grassi, II, pp. 162-164. On 26 June 1388, he established Mondovi as a civitas.Grassi, II, pp. 165-166. The city of Mondovì provided the bishop with an episcopal palace, next to the church of S. Antonio.Grassi, II, p. 365.
The first bishop of Mondovì was the Dominican Damiano Zavaglia; among his successors were Percivallo di Palma (1429), Amadeo Romagnano (1497), who reconstructed the cathedral (1550); Michele Ghislieri, O.P. (1550), Grand InquisitorHis title in Latin was contra hereticam pravitatem in tota republica christiana Summus Inquisitor a S. Sede Apostolica specialiter deputatus. He held the post in Rome and administered his diocese through a Vicar, Bishop Gerolamo Ferragata. Grassi, II, p. 394. and later Pope Pius V; Cardinal Vincenzo Lauro (1566), founder of the seminary, during whose incumbency the cathedral and other churches were torn down to make room for the citadel; Giovanni Battista Isnardi (1697), who restored the episcopal palace and the church of St. Dalmazaio; Carlo Felice Sanmartino (1741), founder of the new seminary, and Giovanni Tommaso Ghilardi, O.P. (1842).
The city, at first part of the Diocese of Asti, became the seat of a bishop, suffragan of the Archbishop of Milan, but, since 1515, the Archdiocese of Turin has been its metropolitan.Bull of Pope Leo X, Hodie ex certis, 21 May 1515. Grassi, II, p. 358. In 1817, the territory of Cuneo was detached from the See of Mondovì, making the diocese of Cuneo.
Cathedral and Chapter
The Cathedral of Mondovi is dedicated to S. Donato. In the bull in which he created the diocese, Pope Urban VI says that he promotes the Collegiate Church of S. Donato into a cathedral church."Cronaca de' vescovi di Monteregali", in the Libro Grosso del Capitolo, in: Grassi, II, p. 162: et insuper Collegiatam ecclesiam S. Donati in huiusmodi nova civitate sitam in cathedralem ecclesiam similiter erigimus et constituimus.... The cathedral was served by a Chapter, which, as Pope Urban says, is to have the same dignities with the same names as that of Asti, and ten canons with the same titles as those of the Chapter of Asti. The Chapter of MondovìC.D. Fonseca, "La cattedrale e il suo Capitolo. Analisi comparata in prospettiva storica, ecclesiologica e canonistica," , in: Annali di Studi Religiosi Vol. 4 (2003), pp. 215-235. was made up of four dignities (the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, the Provost, and the Cantor) and eight Canons. There were also sixteen Chaplains.Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 275 note 1. Ughelli, IV, p. 1085, states that there were ten Canons. Cf. Grassi, I, pp. 9-10, who says that as late as 1404 there was no Chapter as such; there was an Archpriest and probably several Canons. The Pope, unfortunately, makes no mention of how the dignities and Canons are to be appointed or by whom. It is known that the first two bishops installed no Canons.Grassi, II, p. 365: tamen idem episcopus, sequendo errorem primi, nullos instituit Canonicos, et sic eis non remisit molendina.... Statutes of the Cathedral Chapter of Mondovì were approved by the Chapter on 23 September 1480, and ratified by the Archdeacon of Turin, Guillermo Caccia, JUD and Protonotary Apostolic, the Apostolic Delegate.Grassi, II, pp. 283-306.
In 1577, Duke Emmanuel Philibert, faced with the need to fortify the city of Mondovì, announced that he needed the hilltop on which the Cathedral church of S. Donato had existed for many centuries. His plans also required the demolition of the churches of San Domenico (which belonged to the Dominican friars) and Sant'Antonio (which belonged to the Jesuits. After consultations with the Papal Nuncio in Turin, Gerolamo de'Federici, and all the parties concerned in Mondovì (the Bishop, Vincenzo Lauro, the Cathedral Chapter, and all of the religious orders), the plan was submitted to Pope Gregory XIII to transfer the seat of the bishop from S. Donato to the Franciscan church of San Francesco, and to move the Franciscans to Sant'Andrea. The Dominicans would be assigned the parish church of Carassone which had the title of San Giovanni di Lupazano. The Jesuits would be moved to the palazzo of Francesco da Ponte. On 15 March 1577 the Pope gave his consent, and the church of San Francesco became the Cathedral of Mondovì, under the title of S. Donato. The Franciscans were authorized to build a new church of San Francesco.Cappelletti, pp. 233-243. Bishop Lauro succeeded Bishop Gerolamo de'Federici as Papal Nuncio in Turin, and was made a cardinal by Gregory XIII in 1583.Eubel, III, p. 47 no. 25.
In 1835, the Chapter was made up of six dignities and fourteen Canons. The dignities were: Archdeacon, Archpriest, Provost, Cantor, Penitentiary and Theologus.Calendario generale pe' Regii Stati, publicato con authorita del Governore e S. S. R. M. (Torino 1835), p. 65. The Canon Penitentiarius and the Canon Theologus were added by Bishop Vincenzo Lauro in 1580 and 1584.Cappelletti, XIV, p. 243.
The cathedral contains paintings by Giulio Romano, Cambiaso, and others. The residence of the bishop is one of the most impressive episcopal palaces in Italy. In the church of la Missione there are frescoes by the Jesuit Andrea Pozzo.
Outside the city is the sanctuary of the Madonna del Pilone, dating from the fourteenth century, but finished later (1730–49). The palace of the counts of San Quintino contained the first printing-office in Piedmont, and was the seat of a university (1560–1719) founded by Duke Emmanuel Philibert, the first institution of its kind in Piedmont.Grassi, II, pp. 392-393 (6 December 1560). A studium had been founded in Turin in 1404, but it had been closed in 1536.
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 Gerolamo Calagrano (1490–1497) held a diocesan synod in 1495, the statutes of which were published.Cappelletti, pp. 220-226. Grassi, II, pp. 312-354. In 1573 Bishop Vincenzo Lauro presided at a diocesan synod.Grassi, II, pp. 420-425. On 15 September 1592 Bishop Giovanni Antonio Castruccio (1590–1602) held his second diocesan synod, and had the Statutes published.Cappelletti, p. 245. Bishop Michele Casale held a diocesan synod in Mondovi on 1—3 September 1763. Bishop Placido Pozzi held a diocesan synod on 16—18 September 1879.
The diocesan Seminary was built by Bishop Vincenzo Lauro in 1573,Grassi, II, pp. 426-437. and rebuilt by Bishop Carlo Felice Sammartino in 1742.Cappelletti, XIV, pp. 253-254.
Bishops
1388 to 1600
Damiano Zavaglia, O.P. (1388–1403 Died)Zavaglia was named Bishop of Mondovi on 26 June 1388. He had previously been named Bishop of Nice by Urban VI (Roman Obedience) in 1385. Bima, p. 131. Eubel, I, pp. 349, 364. Giovanni de Soglio, O.M. (1403–1413)Soglio was approved by Pope Boniface IX on 3 August 1403. Grassi, I, pp. 9-12. Eubel, I, p. 349. Franceschino Fauzone (1413–1424)Fauzone had been Archpriest of the Cathedral Chapter of Mondovi. He was provided by Pope John XXIII on 6 September 1413. Grassi, II, pp. 212-213. Eubel, I, p. 349. Jacobus de Ayresta (1425–1429)Jacobus was appointed by Pope Martin V on 11 May 1425. He had been a monk of the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria in Pinerolo. On 6 June 1425 he was granted the privilege of being consecrated a bishop by any bishop of his choice. He died in 1429. Eubel, I, p. 349, with note 5. Guido de Ripa, C.R.S.A. (1429)Guido de Ripa (or de Rupa) was a Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law), and was provided as Bishop of Mondavì by Pope Martin V on 18 May 1429. His successor was appointed on 29 July of the same year. The reason for de Ripa's replacement is unknown. Grassi, I, p. 16. Eubel, I, p. 349. Percivallo de Balma (1429–1438)Baume, the Prior of the Benedictine monastery of S. Robert (diocese of Grenoble), was named Bishop of Mondovì on 29 July 1429 by Pope Martin V. He was transferred to the diocese of Belley by Pope Eugene IV on 29 November 1438. Grassi, I, pp. 17-20; II, p. 216. Eubel, I, p. 349; II, p. 103. Aimerico Segaudi, C.R.S.A. (1438–1470 Died)Segaudi had been Prior of S. Antonio of the order of S. Agostino in Vienne, when he was appointed Bishop of Belley (in Haute-Savoie, France) on 18 December 1437, but he was still Bishop-elect when transferred. Pope Eugenius IV conferred the diocese of Mondovi on Aimeric Segaudi by a bull of 28 November 1438. He died on 12 March 1470. Grassi, I, pp. 21-29; II, pp. 225-226. Eubel, II, pp. 103, 196. Antonio Fieschi (1470–1484 Died)Fieschi was a member of the family of the Counts of Lavagna. He was appointed on 17 April 1470, and died in 1484, perhaps on 5 November (Grassi, I, p. 32). Grassi, I, pp. 30-37. Eubel, II, p. 196. Antoine Campione (1484–1490)Campione, a Savoyard nobleman and Doctor in utroque iure (Civil and Canon Law). He had been President of the Senate of Turin, and was promoted to the post of Grand Chancellor of Savoy. He became a Protonotary Apostolic in the Roman Curia. He made his financial arrangements with the Apostolic Camera on 26 November 1484. He was transferred to the diocese of Geneva on 5 November 1490. He died on 29 June 1495. Grassi, I, pp. 38-40. Eubel, II, pp. 158, 196. Gerolamo Calagrano (1490–1497) Amedeo di Romagnano (1497–1509) Carlo Roero (1509–1512)Carolus de Rotariis (Rovero) was a familiaris of Pope Julius II. He was approved as Bishop of Mondovi on 28 March 1509. He took possession of the diocese by procurator on 12 October 1509, but was never installed in his See. He died at the Roman Curia, during the Fifth Lateran Council, in August 1512. Grassi, I, pp. 51-53. Cappelletti, XIV, p. 228. Eubel, III, p. 250 with note 3.
29 October 1511: Territory Lost to form the Diocese of Saluzzo
Lorenzo Fieschi (1512–1519) Ottobono Fieschi (1519–1522) Urbano de Miolano (1523–1523)On 17 November 1522 the Canons of the Cathedral of Mondovì met and elected a Vicar Capitular to govern the diocese during the Sede vacante. On the same day they elected as bishop Urbano di Miolano, Protonotary Apostolic. His name was submitted to Pope Adrian VI by the Duke of Savoy, and he approved the election on 19 January 1523. He died on 13 May 1523, according to Emanuele Morozzo, Le storie dell' antica città del Monteregale, Volume terzo. Grassi, I, pp. 61-62. Eubel, III, p. 250.