The Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Campania, southern Italy, created in 1986. The historic Archdiocese of Salerno was in existence from the tenth century, having been elevated from a sixth-century diocese. The Diocese of Acerno was combined with the archdiocese in 1818."Archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Metropolitan Archdiocese of Salerno–Campagna–Acerno" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016

On 4 May 2019, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Andrea Bellandi, until then the Vicar general of Florence, as Archbishop, succeeding Archbishop Luigi Moretti.

History Local Salernitan tradition venerates five saints, who are named as the earliest bishops of Salerno: Bonosus (each 14 May), Gramatius (11 October), Verus (23 October), Eusterius (19 October), and Valentinianus (3 November). Their existence, however, is undocumented, and their dates are unknown.Paesano, Memorie I, pp. 12-16. Lanzoni, p. 251: "Gli scrittori locali hanno disputato molto sul tempo del loro governo, ma senza alcun risultato, perchè i documenti sono muti affatto."

Bishop Gaudentius attended Pope Symmachus' Roman synod of March 499.Paesano, Memorie I, pp. 16-17. Bishop Asterius went to Constantinople with Pope Agapitus in 534. Bishop Petrus (834), formerly Bishop of Canosa, who took refuge at Salerno when the Saracens destroyed his capital, and built the Church of San Giovanni Battista.

In the eighth century the city of Salerno was in the power of the Lombard dukes of Benevento. In 984 Salerno became an archiepiscopal see, the first archbishop being Amato.

The archbishopric The first archbishop of Salerno was Amatus. This is explicitly stated in a bull of Pope John XV, written for Archbishop Grimoald on 25 March 994, who was named archbishop just as Amatus had been by his predecessors.Kehr VIII, p. 346, no. 12. Bullarum diplomatum et privilegiorum sanctorum Romanorum pontificum Taurensis editio Tomus 1 (Turin Franco & Dalmazzo 1857), p. 462: "...consensu ac voluntate nostrorum fratrum concedimus et confirmamus te Grimoaldum confratrem nostrum in ordine arcbiepiscopatus sicuti quondam Amato, cui primitus vestrae sedis archiepiscopatus Salernitanae a nostris aotecessoribus datus fuit." Pope John's predecessors were John XIV (December 983–August 984), and Benedict VII, who died on 10 July 983. Since Amatus is attested as still being a bishop in April 983, this places the date of the first grant, as Felice Savio argued, to the year 983, between April and July.Savio. pp. 41-42. Kehr VIII, p. 340. The "Chronicon Cavense" wrongly puts the date in 986.

On 22 July 1051, Pope Leo IX issued the bull "Officium Sacerdotale", in which he confirmed the metropolitan status of the archbishops of Salerno, and the privilege of ordering and consecrating the bishops of Paestum, Nola, Conza, Cosenza, and Bisignano.Ughelli VII, pp. 379-380. Kehr VIII, p. 349, no. 19: "dat licentiam et potestatem ordinandi et consecrandi episcopos in subiectis locis, hoc est episcopatus Paestanen. et Nolanum et Consanum et Cusentinum simulque Visunianen. atque Acerentinum On 24 March 1058, Pope Stephen IX issued the bull also called "Officium Sacerdotale", in which he confirmed for the archbishops of Salerno the right of consecrating bishops for (in addition to those named by Pope Leo) Malvito, Policastro, Marsico, Martirano, and Caciano.J. von Pflugk-Harttung, Acta pontificum Romanorum inedita Vol. II (Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer 1884), p. 82, no. 116. Kehr VIII, p. 349, no. 21: "eligendi et ordinandi episcopos in subiectis locis secundum Rom. pontificum privilegia, hoc est in Paestanen. civ. et Consana et Acherontina et Nolana quoque et Cusentina necnon et in Visinianen. et in Malvito et in Policastro et in Marsico et in Martirano et in Caciano...."

On 8 September 1694, the provinces of Salerno, Avellino, and Potenza were struck by a major earthquake. At Capitignano, the parish church was damaged. At Cava de'Tirreni the cathedral was damaged, and the church of S. Francesco lost half of its bell tower. In Salerno itself, the cathedral was damaged, along with the episcopal palace, the church of S. Matteo, and the convent of the Augustinians.Mario Baratta, I terremoti d'Italia (Torino: Bocca 1901), p. 178.

Diocesan synods A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy, to which other interested parties might be invited. 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.

A diocesan synod was held under the auspices of Archbishop Federico Fregoso (1507–1529) in 1525.Constitutione Sinodale della Ecclesia Salernitana anno 1525. Anton. de Friciis de Corinaldo, 1525. Ughelli (VII, p. 43) quotes Alfonso Chacón as saying that Fregoso held a synod in his second year as archbishop. In 1564, Archbishop Gaspar Cervantes de Gaeta (1564–1568) held a diocesan synod.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus 36 (Paris: H. Welter 1911), p. 73. Archbishop Marco Antonio Marsilio Colonna (1574–1589) presided over a diocesan synod in Salerno in 1574, and another in 1579.Synodus dioecesana Salernitana, seu Constitutiones editae ab Antonio Marsilio Columna, Archiepiscopo Salernitano, in dioecesana Synodo celebrata anno MDLXXIX... Naples: Horatius Salvianus 1580. On 16 May 1630, Cardinal Giulio Savelli, Archbishop of Salerno (1630–1642) held a diocesan synod in the cathedral of S. Maria degli Angeli e S. Matteo Evangelista in Salerno.Synodus salernitana, scilicet constitutiones, et decreta ab eminentiss. et reverendiss. d. D. Iulio Tituli Sanctæ Sabinæ s.r.e. presbytero cardinale Sabello, archiepiscopo salernitano. Edita anno Domini 1630 die 13. mensis maij. , Salerno: Typis Aegidij Longi, 1633. Cardinal Fabrizio Savelli, Archbishop of Salerno (1642–1658) presided over a diocesan synod in 1653.Synodus Dioecesana Salernitana à Fabricio, Cardinali Sabello, archiepiscopo Salernitano, celebrata anno 1653. Neapoli: Franc. Savius, 1654. A diocesan synod was held by Archbishop Giovanni de Torres (1658–1662) in 1661.Constitutiones et Decreta in Dioecesana Synodo Salernitana edita à Joanne De Torres, Archiepiscopo Salernitano, promulgata anno 1661. . Naples: Joannes Franc. Savius, 1662 On 1 March 1803, Archbishop Salvatore Spinelli (1797–1805) held a diocesan synod in the cathedral of Salerno.Synodus dioecesana salernitana ab excellentiss. et reverendiss. domino Salvatore Spinelli archiepiscopo in cathedrali metropolitana ecclesia celebrata kalendis martii reparatae salutis anno 1803.

A provincial synod was held in Salerno by Archbishop Lucio Sanseverino (1612–1623) from 10 to 13 May 1615. In attendance were the bishops of Sarno, Cava, Campagna, Capaccio, Nusco, Acerna, and the Marsi.Synodus prouincialis salernitana a Lucio Sanseuerino archiepiscopo cum consilio, & assensu coepiscoporum inchoatava. Idus, completa vero iij maij anno domini 1615. Romae: ex Typographia Camera Apostolicae, 1618.

Right of King of Naples to nominate archbishop Pope Clement VII sent a motu proprio to the Emperor Charles V on 6 July 1524, remarking that Archbishop Fregoso had not resided in the diocese of Salerno for many years;"...sicut accepimus Venerabilis frater Federicus de Campo Fregosio Archiepiscopus Salernitanus in Ecclesia sua Salernitana iam pluribus annis non resideat...." Paesano IV, p. 148. consequently, the diocese was suffering in its spiritual and temporal condition. The pope proposed to place the diocese in the hands of a special nuncio, with the Emperor's consent, until the return of the archbishop to his seat. In the Treaty of Barcelona (29 June 1529), Pope Clement VII confirmed to the Emperor Charles V the fief of the Kingdom of Naples, and in addition the right to name twenty-four of the bishops in that domain, including the seven archbishops, among them the Archbishop of Salerno.Raffaele De Martinis, Le ventiquattro chiese del trattato di Barcelona, Napoli 1882. L. von Pastor, The History of the Popes, 4th edition, Vol. X (London: Kegan Paul Trench Trubner 1938) p. 57. Paesano, Memorie IV, pp. 148-150; 179-182 (listing the dioceses concerned). Shortly thereafter Fregoso resigned.In appointing Cardinal Niccolò Ridolfi as Apostolic Administrator of Salerno on 7 February 1533, Pope Clement VII noted, "Sane ecclesia Salernitana quae de jure patronatus Regis Siciliae citra farum pro tempore ex ostentis ex privilegio Apostolico cui non est hactenus in aliquo derogatum fore dignoscitur, ex eo quod Venerabilis frater Noster Federicus nuper Archiepiscopus Salernitanus regimini et administrationi illius in manibus Nostris sponte ac libere cessit...." Paesano IV, p. 191.

After Napoleon Following the extinction of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Congress of Vienna authorized the restoration of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. Since the French occupation had seen the abolition of many Church institutions in the Kingdom, as well as the confiscation of most Church property and resources, it was imperative that Pope Pius VII and King Ferdinand IV reach agreement on restoration and restitution.

A concordat was finally signed on 16 February 1818, and ratified by Pius VII on 25 February 1818. Ferdinand issued the concordat as a law on 21 March 1818.F. Torelli (1848), La chiave del concordato dell'anno 1818 I, second edition (Naples: Fibreno 1848), pp. 1-19. The re-erection of the dioceses of the kingdom and the ecclesiastical provinces took more than three years. The right of the king to nominate the candidate for a vacant bishopric was recognized, as in the Concordat of 1741, subject to papal confirmation (preconisation).Torelli I, p. 9. On 27 June 1818, Pius VII issued the bull De Ulteriore, in which he reestablished the metropolitan archbishopric of Salerno, with five suffragan dioceses, the diocese of Capaccio e Vallo, diocese of Policastro, diocese of Potenza e Marsico Nuovo, and diocese of Nusco.Bulliarii Romani Continuatio Tomus 25 (Rome 1853), p. 57, § 7: "Archiepiscopalis ecclesia Salernitana suffraganeas habebit episcopales ecclesias Caputaquensem, Policastrensem, Marsicensem, et Nuscanam; episcopalis vero Acernensis ecclesia ac dioecesis administrationem moderno ac prò tempore existenti archiepiscopo Salernitano...."

The See of Acerno, which is on record as an independent diocese since 1136, was granted to the archbishop of Salerno as its perpetual administrator.D'Avino, pp. 600-601. Cappelletti XX, pp. 314-315. Kehr VIII, p. 379. Among its bishops was the Franciscan Antonio Bonito (1493).G. Volpi (1752), Cronologia de' vescovi Pestani ora detti di Capaccio. seconda edizione. Napoli: Giovanni Riccio, 1752, p. 250. In 1920, the diocese of Acerno had seven parishes, seven churches, and sixteen secular priests."Salerno," in: The Catholic Encyclopedia: Supplement. I, Part 1 (ed. Charles George Herbermann), Encyclopedia Press, 1922, p. 669.

On 4 August 1973, the Archbishop of Salerno, Gaetano Pollio (1969–1984) was also named bishop of Campagna.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 65 (1973), p. 502: "Cathedrali Ecclesiae Campaniensi Exc. P. D. Caietanum Pollio, Archiepiscopum Salernitanum." The three dioceses were held aeque principaliter.

Diocesan reorganization