Diocese of Alessandria

The Diocese of Alessandria () (Alessandria della Paglia) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Piedmont, northern Italy. Originally a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan, since 1817 it has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli."Diocese of Alessandria (della Paglia)" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 25, 2016"Diocese of Alessandria " GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved September 25, 2016

History

Foundation of the city In 1168, in response to the aggression of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the leaders of Milan, Cremona and Piacenza, established a new town in order to discomfit Frederick's ally Pavia. The new city was to be made up of the inhabitants of the villages of Quargnento, Solero, Oviglio, Foro, Bergoglio, Rovereto, Marengo and Gamondio. Seeking support for their undertaking, they sent ambassadors to Pope Alexander III (1159–1181) in January 1170, announcing that they had named the new city Alessandria in his honor, and begging for his support. They offered the city to the Papacy to be forever the vassal of the Holy Roman Church.Cappelletti, pp. 531–534. Ughelli, IV, pp. 312–313. They set aside three jugera ("moggi") of land at the junction of the Quartiere di Marengo and the Quartiere di Gamondo, thanks to the generosity of the Marchesi del Bosco, for the construction of a "Chiesa maggiore" under the title of S. Pietro, who had been declared their patron saint two years earlier.Ghilini, Annali d'Alessandria, p. 3, column 2. The church, originally a collegiate church, was begun immediately, and was completed by 1178. It had been raised to the dignity of a cathedral church in 1175.Chenna II, pp. 46–47. It was small, too small for the growing population, and needed to be rebuilt.Gasparolo (1904), pp. 187–188. A new cathedral was under construction in 1289, and was completed in 1297.Gasparolo (1904), p. 189.

Establishment of the diocese Alessandria was made a diocese in 1175 by Pope Alexander III, with territory removed from the diocese of Acqui, Asti, Pavia, Tortona, and Milan.Kehr VI. 2, p. 201: " Lanzavecchia (2000), pp. 15–16. The diocese was declared to be a suffragan of the metropolitan of Milan.Livraghi (2011), "document 1", introduction.

In a Brief of 30 January 1176, Pope Alexander declared that he had selected Alessandria's first bishop, though he did so without any prejudice to the rights of the Chapter for the future to elect their bishop, just as the other suffragans of Milan did.Ughelli, IV, pp. 314–315. Moriondo, II, pp. 12, 26. Christ, p. 159: " The new bishop, Arduinus, died before he could be consecrated, and another candidate was substituted, who also did not receive an episcopal consecration.Pope Innocent III, in a letter of 12 May 1205, to the bishop of Terdona and Canon Bongiovanni of Vercelli, noted: " Archbishop Galdinus of Milan, who had been appointed to carry out the episcopal consecration, died on 18 April 1176.Giovanni Battista Testa, History of the War of Frederick I Against the Communes of Lombardy, (London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1877), p. 409-410. Cf. Fedele Savio, Gli antichi vescovi d'Italia dalle origini al 1300 descritti per regioni: Milano, , (Florence: Libreria editrice fiorentina, 1913), pp. 534–535. Galdinus' successor, Algisius de Pirovano, whose election took 10½ weeks, was elected in time to attend Pope Alexander's assembly of the Lombard bishops at Ferrara in April 1177.

On 28 May 1176, the Lombard League, of which Alessandria was a member, and of which Pope Alexander III was the nominal head, defeated Frederick Barbarossa in the Battle of Legnano, ending the emperor's fifth and last attempt to subdue the cities of Lombardy and Piedmont.Giovanni Battista Testa, History of the War of Frederick I Against the Communes of Lombardy, (London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1877), pp. 366–424, esp. 411–417.

At the Third Lateran Council, held by Pope Alexander in March 1179, Archbishop Algesius and twelve of his suffragan bishops attended and subscribed the acts, including Bishop Ubertus of Aqui. No bishop of Alessandria was present.J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXII (Venice: A. Zatta 1778), p. 216.

On 18 July 1180, Pope Alexander III confirmed the election of Bishop Otto by the 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. of S. Pietro (which was already in existence and operating), with the agreement of the clergy and people,"...benignius annuentes canonicam quam fili electe in ecclesia sancti petri de assensu cleri et populi statuisti protectionis nostre munimine roborantes et electionem quam de personis idoneis ad dignitates ecclesie tenendas fecisti." and also confirmed in their dignities Magister Hugo the Provost, Magister Cataldo the Archpriest, and Magister P(etrus?) the Cantor. He also confirmed the assignment of seven churches in the diocese for the use of the canons.Kehr VI. 2, p, 204, no. 2: " Livraghi (2011), "document 4."

Dioceses of Alessandria and Acqui in conflict Unhappy with the situation in Piedmont, however, and since Alexandria was already larger than Acqui, Pope Alexander in 1180 ordered that the seat of Acqui should be transferred to Alessandria.Cappelletti XIV, p. 541: " It was apparently intended that the bishop who was to reside in Alessandria was to govern both the dioceses,Savio, pp. 67–68: " aeque personaliter.Cappelletti XIV, p. 541: " Archbishop Algisius of Milan wrote to the clergy and people of Alessandria that he was acting in accordance to a mandate from the pope to transfer the seat of the bishop of Aqui to the city of Alessandria.Cappelletti XIV, pp. 536–538: " The letter is dated 1180. He also absolved them of the oath of fidelity which they had sworn to bishop-elect Otto.Cappelletti XIV, pp. 537–538: " The clergy of Acqui objected to the loss of the presence of the bishop in their city, and the people of Alessandria refused to admit Bishop Ubertus of Acqui. Alessandria was therefore left without a bishop down to 1205.Kehr VI. 2, p. 201: " The Papacy was therefore faced with the need to sort out conflicts between the Chapter of Alessandria and the Chapter of Acqui.Cappelletti XIV, p. 542. Savio, p. 68. Pope Innocent III, therefore, in a letter of 12 May 1205, not only restated the terms of the bull of Pope Alexander III which transferred the seat of the bishop of Acqui to Alessandria, but also determined that there was to be a union of the two dioceses. He ordered Bishop Opizzo of Dertona and Canon Bongiovanni of Vercelli to carry out his mandate.Cappelletti XIV, pp. 538–540. Bishop Ugo Tornelli, who had been Bishop of Acqui since 1183, therefore was confirmed as bishop of Alessandria as well, and transferred his seat.Chenna I, pp. 57–66.

The diocese was suppressed in 1213 by Pope Innocent III, due to the support of the Alessandrians for Emperor Otto IV.Cappelletti, pp. 544–546: " The Church of Alessandria had also been refusing to pay the annual tax due to the Roman see, according to a letter of Innocent III of 4 June 1214.Cappelletti XIV, p. 545: " p. 547: "

It was restored on 10 May 1240 by Pope Gregory IX, with the bull "Regina Mater", as part of his strategy to defeat Frederick II.Cappelletti, pp. 546–548: "

In 1334, the diocese of Alessandria was subjected to an official Visitation by the Vicar General of Archbishop Aicardus of Milan, Canon Eusebius de Tronzano of Vercelli. He collected all the decrees of various synods, and issued them to the canons of Alessandria.Giovanni Battista Moriondo, Monumenta Aquensia, Volume 2 (Turin: Typographia Regia, 1790), "Praefatio", p. 9.

The territory of the diocese of Acqui was united with that of Alessandria until 1405, when Acqui again received its own bishop.Cappelletti, pp. 547–550. In 1287, the archdeacon of Alessandria, Ascherius, attended the provincial synod of Milan, held by Archbishop Otto.J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima Vol. 24 (Venice: A. Zatta 1780), p. 872: " The bishop-elect of Acqui was also present.

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.

Bishop Pietro Giorgio Odescalchi (1598–1610) held diocesan synods in 1602, 1605, and 1606.Decreta condita, et promulgata in tribus synodis Dioecesanis quae celebratae fuerunt annis 1602, 1605 & 1606, sub admodum ill. et reverendiss. D. D. Petro Giorgio Odescalco, Dei et Apostolicae sedis gratia Episc. ALexandriae et comite (Alexandriae: apud Felicem Mottum M.DCVIII). Diocesan synods were held in 1613 and 1617 by Bishop Erasmo Paravicini (1611–1640).Decreta condita in dioecesanis synodis habitis de anno M.DC.XIII. & M.DC.XVII sub illustrissimo & reverendissimo D.D. Erasmo Paravicino Dei & Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopo Alexandriae, Comite, & Nuntio Apostolico apud Serenissimum Regem Boemiae (Alexandriae: apud Dionysium & Johannem Sotum M.DC.XVII). In 1652, Bishop Deodato Scaglia (1644–1659) presided over a diocesan synod.Decreta condita et in Synodo dioecesaba de abbi N, DC, XXXXXII sub illustriss. et reverendiss. D. D. D. fratris Deodato Scalia episcopo Alexandrino, Regio Consiliario, & Comite (Alexandriae: apud H. Johannis Soti M.DC.XXXXXII). Bishop Alberto Mugiasca (1680–1694) held a diocesan synod in 1684.Decreta condita et promulgata in Synodo Dioecesana celebrata de anno 1684 sub illustrissimo & Reverendissimo D. D. Don F. Alberto Mugiasca ex ordine Praedicatorum, Dei & Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopo ALexandrino & Comite (Alexandriae: Apud Haeredes Josephi Stramesij 1684).

On 16 May 1702, Bishop Carlo Ottaviano Guasco (1695–1704) held a diocesan synod.J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus XXXVI ter (Arnhem & Leipzig 1924), p. 882. In October 1711, Bishop Francesco Arborio di Gattinara (1706–1727) held a diocesan synod.Mansi, p. 889. On 1–3 May 1732, Bishop Gian Mercurino Antonio Gattinara (1730–1743) presided over a diocesan synod.Constitutiones quae in prima DIoecesana Synodo habita die 1, 2, & 3 maii 1732 condidit Ill. et Rev. D. D. Jo. Mercurinus Arboreus Gattinara, episcopus Alexandriae (Alexandriae: typis Antonii Vimercati 1732). Bishop Giuseppe Tomaso de Rossi (1757–1786) held a synod in the cathedral on 10–12 June 1771.Synodus Dioecesana prima ab Illustriss. et Reverendiss. Domino D. Josepho Thoma de Rossi episcopo Alexandrino, et comite, abbate insignis collegiatae Ss. Petri et Dalmatii, habita in Ecclesia cathedrali Alexandrina, diebus X, XI, XII Junii MDCCLXXI (Alexandriae: ex typographia Ignatii Vimercati 1771).

Bishop Alessandro d'Angennes (1818–1832) presided over a diocesan synod on 2–4 June 1829.Synodus Dioecesana Alexandrina XVI, quam ill. et rev. D.D. Alexander ex marchionibus d'Agennes Ep. Alexandrinus et comes habuit diebus 2, 3, et 4 Junii 1829 (Alexandriae: ex typ. Aloysii Capriolo 1829).

The French occupation The armies of revolutionary France overran northern Italy in 1796. Brief puppet states were established. In 1802, Piedmont was directly annexed by the French state, and French-style départements were established. The territory of Alessandria became part of the Department of Marengo in 1802, and Alessandria itself was named its capital.Collection complète des lois, décrets, ordonnances, réglemens et avis du Conseil d'état, Volume 13 (Paris: A. Guyot et Scribe, 1826), pp. 541.