The Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. Historically, it was the Diocese of Spoleto. Elevated to the status of an archdiocese since 1821, it is a non-metropolitan see and is immediately exempt to the Holy See."Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016."Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

History Civil affairs Spoleto, the Roman Spoletium, surrendered in the Gothic war (537) to the Byzantine general, Constantine; but in 546 it was recovered by Totila, and it was not retaken by the Byzantines until 552, when Narses restored the fortifications. In 572 Spoleto became the seat of a Lombard duke, Faroald.Umberto Benigni (1912), "Spoleto." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Retrieved: 26 April 2019.

Under Hildebrand, the Duchy of Spoleto was promised to the Holy See by the King of the Franks, and the duke himself was named by Pope Adrian (773), but the succeeding dukes were named by the Frankish emperors. Winigisus aided Pope Leo III against his enemies.Umberto Benigni (1912), "Spoleto." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Retrieved: 26 April 2019.

Duke Lambert distinguished himself in the wars against the Saracens, but disgraced himself by massacres at Rome in 867; he was afterwards deposed (871), then restored (876), but was a second time excommunicated by Pope John VIII. In 883 Guido II of Spoleto united under his sway the entire dukedom, which from this time was called the Duchy of Spoleto and Camerino. After the death of Charles the Fat (888), Guido had himself crowned Roman Emperor and King of Italy under Pope Stephen V (891); Pope Formosus in 892 also crowned his son Lambert II, who succeeded his father in the dukedom, kingdom, and empire.Umberto Benigni (1912), "Spoleto." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Retrieved: 26 April 2019.

Alberico I, Duke of Camerino (897), and afterwards of Spoleto, married the notorious Marozia; he was killed by the Romans in 924. His son Alberico II made himself also master of Rome and remained there until the election to the papacy of his son John XII.

During the conflict between the papacy and the Emperor Henry IV, the latter named other dukes of Spoleto. After this the dukedom was in the family of the Werners (Guarnieri) of Urslingen, Margraves of Ancona.Umberto Benigni (1912), "Spoleto." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Retrieved: 26 April 2019.

On 28 July 1155, the city of Spoleto was completely destroyed by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.Cappelletti, p. 355.

In August 1433, the Emperor Sigismund paid a visit to Spoleto, following his coronation in Rome by Pope Eugenius IV on 31 May 1433.Achille Sansi, Documeti storici inediti (Foligno 1879), p. 174.

Papal affairs The popes maintained at Spoleto a governor, who was often a cardinal. As early as the thirteenth century, and more frequently in the fourteenth, Spoleto was involved in wars with Perugia, Terni, and other cities; in 1324 it was almost destroyed by the Perugians. In 1319 the struggle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines tore the city. Cardinal Albornoz favoured the city for the services which it rendered in the restoration of the papal power, and made it independent of Perugia.

At the beginning of the Western Schism, Pietro di Prato succeeded in occupying Spoleto for the antipope Clement VII, but was expelled by Pope Boniface IX. King Ladislaus of Naples, in 1414 endeavoured in vain to make himself master of the city. Pope Eugenius IV named as governor the Abbot of Monte Cassino, Piero Tomacelli, who was tyrannical to such an extent that the people besieged him in his castle, and in 1438 summoned the bands of Piccinino to free them. In 1480 Cardinal Vitelleschi ended the tyranny of Piero and of the Trinci of Foligno.

On 15 January 1820, Spoleto became a metropolitan see, thanks to a bull of Pope Pius VII entitled Pervetustam Episcopalium,Cappelletti, IV, pp. 370-378. and the ancient Diocese of Norcia was revived, with its territory taken from that of Spoleto.Pius VII, bull Ad tuendam, of 3 January 1821, in: Sansi, Memorie aggiunte, pp. 148-149.

Bishops Spoleto venerates as its apostle St. Brictius, who is also venerated in other cities of Umbria and Tuscany. The legend of his life is full of anachronisms.

Another martyred bishop was St. Saturnius (270).Saturninus' existence is questioned by Lanzoni, p. 443: "E senza prove, e pare lo stesso s. Saturnino martire venerato a Terni, forse africano."

At the time of Bishop Petrus (573) Spoleto was under Arian rule. It is told that an Arian bishop in Spoleto wished to enter the Church of San Pietro, then the cathedral, by force, but was stricken with blindness.

Bishop Alfonso Visconti (1601) began the construction of the diocesan seminary.Sansi, Storia della commune di Spoleto II, p. 269.

After the death of Cardinal Locatelli on 13 February 1811, King Napoleon of Italy on 14 April 1813 nominated Canon and Archpriest Antonio de Longo of Florence to be Bishop of Spoleto; the Canons of Spoleto were unwilling to obey the imperial-royal command, and were therefore nearly all exiled. Pope Pius VII was in no position to intervene, since he himself was a prisoner of the Emperor Napoleon at Fontainebleau.

Chapter and cathedral

Bishop Adalbert (1015) laid the foundations of the new cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Primianus. He also moved the episcopal residence within the city to the monastery of S. Eufemia.Cappelletti, pp. 347-348.

Having destroyed the city in 1155, in 1185 Frederick Barbarossa presented to the cathedral the so-called Madonna of St. Luke, a Byzantine work with inscriptions of a dialogue between Mary and Jesus.Cappelletti, p. 356.

In 1417, on the death of Bishop Jacopo, who was a partisan of Pope John XXIII, the clergy wished to proceed to the election of a new bishop, but the people prevented them, proclaiming as bishop Nicolò Vivari, the nominee of Pope Gregory XII.Cappelletti, p. 365. Again in 1433 the clergy wished to revive their right of electing a bishop, but the intervention of Pope Eugenius IV prevented them.

In 1691 the cathedral Chapter was composed of two dignities (the Archdeacon and the Prior) and twelve Canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 362 note 1.

Synods

In 1468, Cardinal Berardo Eroli (Bishop of Spoleto, 1448–1474) held a diocesan synod, attended by approximately 230 priests.Achille Sansi, Storia del commune di Spoleto II, p. 62 with note 8.

Bishop Pietro Orsini (1581–1591) held a diocesan synod in Spoleto in 1583, and had the decisions published.

A diocesan synod was held by Archbishop Giovanni de' Conti Sabbioni (1838–1852) on 10–12 May 1842.

Bishops of Spoleto to 1200

... (end of 3rd cent. ?)Lanzoni, pp. 443-444, argues that there was only one Laurentius, but that he did not belong to the 6th century. ... Caecilianus (attested c. 353–354)Bishop Caecilianus received an admonition from Pope Liberius (352–366). Kehr, p. 6, no. 1. ... Achilleus (attested 419)Bishop Achilleus was ordered by the Emperor Honorius to say Mass in Rome during the schism between Boniface and Eulalius. Kehr, p. 6, no. 1, note. He founded the church of S. Pietro, which became the first cathedral. Lanzoni, p. 444, no. 3. Campello, Historie di Spoleto I, pp. 237 and 240, conjectures that the synod which ended the schism was held in Spoleto. ... Spes (first half of 5th cent.)Cappelletti, pp. 336-337. ... Amasius (476–489)Bishop Amasius was consecrated on 23 May 476, and died on 23 July 489. Lanzoni, p. 444, no. 5. Epiphanius, who is mentioned at the same time, was Bishop of Spello, not Spoleto. [Meletius (c. 490)]There is no proof of the episcopal status of Meletius. Lanzoni, p. 444. Campello, I, p. 249, calls Meletius an archbishop and claims that he was the first Metropolitan of Spoleto. Campello, p. 297, claims that he died on 16 December 497, which is impossible, given the known facts about Bishop Joannes. Joannes (attested c. 492–496, 499, 501, 502)Bishop Joannes received a mandate from Pope Gelasius I (492–496). Kehr, p. 6, no. 1. Lanzoni, pp. 444-445, no. 6 ("Del resto non è neppùr necessario di credere alla testimonianza di quella tarda Passione, cioè che il vescovo Giovanni morisse con l'aureola del martirio.") Ughelli, p. 1256, says that Joannes was the Archdeacon of Meletius, and that he was elected bishop in 500; Coleti's note 5 demonstrates the impossibility of Ughelli's date. Ughelli claims that Bishop Joannes survived until 541, when he was killed by soldiers of Totila. Gams, p. 728, following Cappelletti (p. 338) puts his death in 547. This would give Bishop Joannes a rule of over fifty years. ... Laurentius (552?–563?)He is called Joannes Laurentius by Ughelli, p. 1257, and is said to have come to Rome from Syria as a young man in the reign of Justinian I (527–565). He was appointed bishop by Pope Vigilius (537–555), and he ruled the Church of Spoleto for eleven years. He resigned to become a hermit, and died on 3 February 576. Cappelletti, pp. 341-342. Gams, p. 728 (whose dates appear to be conjectural. ... Paulinus (attested c. 558–560)Bishop Paulinus received a letter from Pope Pelagius I. Kehr, p. 7, nos. 3-5. Lanzoni, p. 445. ... Petrus (attested 574)Petrus is said to have been the successor of Laurentius. He is mentioned in the Dialogues of Pope Gregory I, c. 574. Ughelli, p. 1257 (who gives his date of death as 29 June 590). Cappelletti, p. 342. The skepticism of Lanzoni, p. 446, is raised by a Bishop Peter, buried in a church of S. Peter, on a Feast of S. Peter. ... Chrysanthus (attested 597–603)Pope Gregory I wrote six letters to Bishop Chrysanthus, in one of which he ordered him, on the complaint of a priest Valentinus, to take legal steps against certain excommunicated monks, and, once he had discovered the truth, to deal with them. Cappelletti, IV, pp. 342-343. Kehr, IV, pp. 7-8, nos. 6-11. Lanzoni, p. 446, no. 8. ... Adeodatus (attested 649)Bishop Adeodatus attended the Lateran council of Pope Martin I in 649. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima editio, editio novissima, Tomus X (Florence: A. Zatta 1764), p. 866. ... Deodatus (attested 777, 781)Gams, p. 728 column 1. ... Sigualdus (early 9th cent.)Ughelli, p. 1257. Cappelletti, p. 345. ... Lupus (attested 967, 968, 1002)Lupus: Ughelli reports that he restored the church of S. Paolo near Spoleto in 1002. Ughelli, I, p. 1258. Schwartz, p. 239. Adalbertus (attested 1015)Bishop Adalbert (not Heribertus) attended the Roman synod of Pope Benedict VIII of 1015. J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima editio, editio novissima, Tomus XIX (Venice: A. Zatta 1774), p. 363. Schwartz, p. 239. ... Berardus (attested 1028)Cappelletti, p. 348. Schwartz, p. 239. ... Henricus (attested 1049, 1050, 1059)Heinrich was present at the Roman synod of Pope Leo IX in 1049. Mansi, Tomus XIX, p. 724. Schwartz, p. 239. ... Andreas (attested 1065–1069)Schwartz, p. 240. [Unknown (1076)]In a letter to the Emperor Henry IV, Pope Gregory VII indicates that certain persons unknown to him (quibusdam nobis etiam ignotis personis) were occupying the episcopal thrones of Foligno and Spoleto. Evidently they had not received papal approval and were intrusive. Schwartz, p. 240. Rodulfus (attested 1080)Rodulfus: Schwartz, p. 240. ... Salomon (attested 1106–1107)Bishop Salomon is said to have been present at a Roman synod of Pope Paschal II, held in 1101, 1102, and 1103, but there is no proof. Schwartz, p. 240. ... Henricus (attested c. 1114)Henricus: Ughelli, p. 1261. Cappelletti, p. 354. ... Manvaldus (attested 1146)Manualdo: Ughelli, p. 1261. Cappelletti, p. 354-1355. Lotharius (c. 1155)Gams, p. 728 column 1.