The Diocese of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Apulia. It has existed under this name since 1986. Its bishop has been a suffragan of the Archbishop of Foggia-Bovino since 1979.

Historically the Diocese of Ascoli Satriano was a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Benevento. In 1819, the diocese of Cerignola was established, and one and the same bishop held both dioceses, with the name Diocese of Ascoli Satriano e Cerignola."Diocese of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016."Diocese of Ascoli Satriano" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

History Ascoli The town of Ascoli was captured by Norman adventurers in March 1041.Gordon S. Brown, The Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily (London: McFarland 2003), pp. 39-40. At the council of Melfi in 1043, William d'Hauteville, called William Iron Arm, became the lord of Ascoli.Brown, p. 50.

In 969, Ausculum Appulum (now Ascoli Satriano) appears as a city amongst the suffragan sees of Beneventum.Kehr IX, p. 53, no. 11: "...concedentes tibi tuaeque sanctae Beneventanae ecclesiae, quaecunque legaliter et rationabiliter antiquo jure tempore praedecessorum tuorum visa est possidere, id est: Bivinum, Asculum, Larinum, Sipontum, et ecclesiam sancti Michaelis archangeli in monte Gargano cum omnibus earum pertinentiis, et omnia praedia cum ecclesiis, familiis utriusque sexus, et massis, totaque infra tuam parochiam loca....' It is listed as a suffragan of Benevento in the "Rationes decimarum" of 1310.Domenico Vendola, Rationes decimarum Italiae nei secoli XIII e XIV: Apulia–Lucania Cakabria , (Città del Vaticano: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana 1939), p. 36. A bishop of Ascoli, deposed in 1068 by Pope Alexander II, is sometimes adduced, but he was a bishop of Ascoli Piceno, not Ascoli Satriano.Kehr IX, p. 146, no. 1, n.: "unde sequitur notitiam registri Alexandri II ad Esculanum ep. Apuliae esse referendam." Ascoli Piceno is more than 300km north of Ascoli Satriano. The first known bishop of Ascoli, however, is Risando, who consented to a donation to the monastery of Cava in 1107.

Ascoli: Chapter and cathedral The medieval cathedral of Ascoli, which had been (re)built by King Roger of Sicily in 1111, was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1456, which also destroyed the citadel.Leoncavallo, in: D'Avino, p. 33 col. 2, with note 7: "fu da un orribile tremuoto scossa, ed adeguata al suolo." Mario Baratta, I terramoti d'Italia (Torino: Bocca 1901), pp. 66-74, at p. 69.

The successor cathedral building was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and to S. Leo of Ordona.The existence of this Leo is highly doubted: Francesco Lanzoni, Le diocesi d'Italia dalle origini al principio del secolo VII (an. 604), vol. I, Faenza 1927, p. 288: "Leo? — L'Ughelli (X, 114), mentre lo colloca in Ordona, gli dà il titolo di santo e assegna la sua festa al 12 gennaio. Negli indici dei Bollandisti non trovo questo s. Leone. Incontrasi un oscuro Leo anche in Siponto; ma non ardisco pronunziarmi su questo Leone o s. Leone." Giacomo Leoncavallo dates this Leo to 105, making him the successor of the Greek Photinus, who had been sent by the Apostle Peter to evangelize Ordona, the diocese from which Ascoli allegedly descended after the town of Ordona was completely destroyed.Leonccavallo, in: D'Avino, p. 34 col. 1. The cathedral was administered by a corporation called the Chapter, composed of six dignities (the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, the Cantor, two Primicerii, and the Treasurer) and seven canons (later fourteen).Ughelli VIII, p. 225, In 1680, the city of Ascoli had a population of about 2,000 persons.Ritzler & Sefrin V, p. 100, note 1. In 1737, the population was 3,000. The Chapter consisted of six dignities and fourteen canons.Ritzler & Sefrin VI, p. 101, note 1.

Cerignola The fief of Cerignola fell to the royal treasury under Charles I of Sicily, in 1273, on the death of Simon the chancellor. In 1283, Bertrando Artus sold it to Ugone de Vicini, who in his turn sold it to Giovanni Pipino of Barletta, whose family still possessed the fief in 1320. In 1348, the Lord of Cerignano was Giacomo Arucci, whom Queen Joanna I of Naples appointed grand chamberlain. In 1398, Benedetto Azzaroli, a native of Cerignola and the Vicegerens in Apulia, purchased the castle of Cerignoli, and the king assigned him the territory as well. In 1417, the fief returned to the treasury, and Queen Joanna II of Naples sold it to Giovanni Caracciolo. In 1583, his descendant Caterina Caracciolo brought it as a dowry to Ettore Pignatelli. One or another branch of the Pignatelli family held the property until the mid-19th century, when feudalism was abolished.Conte, pp. 21-22.

It has been suggested that Cerignola, on account of its relative importance, may have been formerly a diocese, but there is no evidence on the point. Since at least the 15th century, Cerignola has been outside the diocesan system (nullius diocesis), governed ecclesiastically by the archpriest of the collegiate church of S. Pietro in Carignola.Pius VII characterized Cerignola as: "Parochialis ecclesia, Divo Petro Apostolorum Principi sacro, ab antiquissimo tempore, per unum archipresbyterum una cum suo diviso et separato territorio, et ordinaria quasi episcopali jurisdictione gubernari solita." Collezione degli atti emanati dopo la pubblicazione del Concordato dell'anno 1819, Parte terza (1820 a 1825) (Napoli: De Turchini 1830), p. 112. The archpriestA list of the archpriests: Disanto & Pergola, p. 16. was a prelate, but not a bishop, and did not have the right to ordain or consecrate.Giuseppe Tozzi, in: D'Avino, p. 198: "Che questa Chiesa per lo innanzi non sia stata giammai sede vescovile,è chiaro abbastanza; però, che sia stata una collegiata sotto la direzione di un arciprete, godendo il diritto del nullius dicecesis, esistono delle memorie sin dalla metà del secolo decimoterzo, che lo attestano." From 1255, the archpriest and his five canons swore an oath to the archbishop of Bari and Canosa.G. B. Nitto De Rossi & Francesco Nitti di Vito (edd.), Codice diplomatico barese: le pergamene del Duomo di Bari (952-1264) Bari 1897, pp. 194-195, no. 104: "Nos autem habito consilio discretorum, cognoscentes nos esse subiectos et diocesanos ecclesie canusine, eidem archidiacono loco et vice dicti electi barine et canusine sedis debitam hobedientiam firmatam corporali iuramento prestavimus reverenter." Disanto & Pergola, p. 14. The capitular church of Cerinola was subject to the jurisdiction of the Provost of Canosa. In a document of 30 April 1455, Pope Calixtus III uses the expression “Cidonola nullius dioc.” with reference to Cerignola.Disanto & Pergola, p. 14: "Archivio parrocchiale S. Pietro Apostolo, Cerignola, Indulgenza della Cappella di Santa Lucia 30 Aprile 1455."

Cerignola (Dioecesis Ceriniolensis-Asculana Apuliae) was established as a diocese on 18 June 1819, by Pope Pius VII, in the bull "Quamquam Per Nuperrimam".Collezione degli atti emanati dopo la pubblicazione del Concordato dell'anno 1819, Parte terza (1820 a 1825) (Napoli: De Turchini 1830), pp. 108-142. The pope was frank in his motives: increasing difficulties in financing the diocese of Ascoli, and the greater population and wealth of Cerignola."cum tamen Nos in aliam ob causam in hanc ingressi fuerimus deliberationem, nisi quod propter nimiam redituum modicitatem episcopalium mensarum, aut obscuritatem locorum, in eorum pluribus episcopalis dignitas, jam inde a felicis recordationis Benedictae Papae decimi quarti, praedecessoris nostri temporibus, in indecoram prorsus declinationem abisse, et paene vilescere nosceretur, non idcirco, a novis instituendis hujusmodi sedibus, aliena mens nostra unquam fuit, et animus, si in hoc necessitas, utilitasve concurreret, et illustriora quaedam praedictae ditionis loca, id proprio jure ac merito postularent." Cerignola was to have one and only one bishop, who was to have all the rights of a bishop, including the power to summon a synod and require the attendance of all abbots and inferior prelates in his jurisdiction. His diocese was to be a suffragan of the archdiocese of Benevento.Collezione degli atti..., p. 115. The dioceses of Cerignola and Ascoli were to be united under one bishop, aeque personaliter, so that neither diocese was to be subject to the other."...ipsam sic erectam Cathedralem Ecclesiam Ceriniolensem alteri Cathedrali Ecclesiae Asculensi perpetuo aeque principaliter dicta Apostolica auctoritate unimus, adnectimus, et incorporamus; ita tamen ut neutra alteri sit subjecta...." The bishop who was appointed to both Cerignano and to Ascoli was authorized to appoint a separate Vicar General in each of his dioceses, and, when the bishopric became vacant, each cathedral ChapterC.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 authorized to elect its own Vicar Capitular during the vacancy.Collezione degli atti..., p. 117.

The name Carinola (Carinolensis seu Calinensis) was established in 1968 as a titular see.Carinola (Titular See) [Catholic-Hierarchy] Cerignola in Apulia has no connection with Carinola, a comune (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the region of Campania in Italy.

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 Francesco Antonio Punzi (1685–1728) held a diocesan synod in Ascoli on 26–28 October 1692.F.A.Punzi, Synodus diocesana ecclesiae asculanae in Apulia celebrata ab illustrissimo et reverendissimo Domino Francisco Ant. Punzi Dei et Apostolicae Sedis gratia episcopo asculano dominica XXII post Pentecosten 26 mensis octobris, cum duobus sequentibus diebus anno Dom. 1692, , Benevento:Typographia archiepiscopalis 1694. Bishop Antonio Maria Nappi (1818–1830) presided over a diocesan synod held in Ascoli on 21–23 June 1824.A. M. Nappi, Synodus asculanensis ab illustriss. et reverendiss. Domino Antonio Maria Nappi Asculani, et Ceriniolae episcopo celebrata diebus 21. 22 et 23 mensis Junii anni M DCCCXXIV in cathedrali ecclesia Asculi, , Napoli: P. Tizzano 1824. Bishop Nappi then held a diocesan synod for the diocese of Cerinola in the cathedral of Cerinola from 30 June to 2 July 1824.Synodus ceriniolensis ab illustriss. ac reverendiss. Domino Antonio Maria Nappi, Asculi et Ceriniolae episcopo, celebrata diebus 30 }unii ac l et 2 julii anni MDCCCXXIV in cathedrali ecclesia Ceriniolae, , Napoli: P. Tizzano 1824. Bishop Leonardo Todisco Grande (1849–1872) presided over a diocesan synod on 10–12 April 1853.L. Todisco Grande, Synodales Constitutiones et Decreta ab Illustrissimo et Reverendissimo Domino Leonardo Todisco Grande Asculan et Ceriniolen Episcopo edita et emanata in sua prima diocesana Synodo celebrata die decima aprilis et duobus diebus sequentibus anni 1853, , Napoli, 1853. Bishop Antonio Sena presided over a diocesan synod in the cathedral at Ascoli on 25–27 June 1878.A. Sena, Constitutiones synodales ab ill.mo et rev.mo Domino Antonio Sena Asculi Satriani et Ceriniolae episcopo editae in sua prima synodo diebus XXV. XXVI, XXVII Junii MDCCCLXXVIII in cathedrali asculano tempio celebrata, , Roma, 1878.

Change of metropolitan