The diocese of Tursi is first attested as a Greek diocese.[3] In the privilege granted by Polyeuktos, the Patriarch of Constantinople to the Metropolitan of Otranto in 968, the Metropolitan is granted the right to consecrate the bishops of Acerenza, Tursi, Gravina, Matera, and Tricarico.[4]
The first bishop to call himself Bishop of Anglona was Petrus (1110). Simeon, a bishop of Anglona, was present at the ceremony of donation of some fields, made by Hugo di Chiaromonte and his wife Ginarga to the Basilian monastery of Sts. Elias and Anastasius.[5]
On 16 June 1102 (or 1106, or 1108), Pope Paschal II confirmed the privileges of the metropolitan archbishop of Acerenza, which included the suffragan dioceses of Venosa, Gravina, Tricarico, Tursi, and Potenza. The privilege was repeated by Pope Eugenius III on 1 April 1151; by Pope Alexander III on 7 September 1179; and by Pope Innocent III on 10 December 1201.[6] In October 1167, King William II of Sicily granted the castle of Nucara to Bishop Guilelmus of Anglona, for the good of his soul.[7] In July 1181, Bishop Roboan of Anglona relinquished his rights over the abbey of Ss. Elias and Anastasius of Carbone to the archbishop of Monreale.[8]
Following the death of the Emperor Frederick II in 1250, the struggle for the succession between Conrad and Manfred involved not only the papacy, but also most of the vassals of the Empire in south Italy. Pope Innocent IV (Fieschi) excommunicated Manfred in July 1254. One of the leaders of the opposition to Manfred, and a papal supporter, was Borello, the lord of Anglona.[9] In October 1254, five months after the death of Conrad, Manfred killed Borello. Manfred fled to Lucera where he was favorably received, and assumed control over the town and fortress.[10]
The name of the diocese was officially changed from Diocese of Anglona to Diocese of Anglona-Tursi in 1545 or 1546, Tursi being a town in the diocese of Anglona.[12]
Reorganization of 1976
On 8 September 1976, the diocese of Diano-Policastro lost seven towns, including Lagonegro, when the Diocese of Tursi-Lagonegro was established. The church of S. Nicholas of Bari in Lagonegro was promoted to the status of co-cathedral.[13] The name (titulus) of "Anglona" was suppressed from the diocesan name, but the name was retained and placed among the names of future titular sees.[14]
Following the Second Vatican Council, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the council's decree, Christus Dominus chapter 40,[15] Pope Paul VI ordered a reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces in southern Italy by the bull Quo aptius of 21 August 1976. The ecclesiastical provinces of Acerenza and of Matera were abolished, and a new province, that of Potenza, was created.[16] On 12 September 1976, Pope Paul continued the reorganization by dissolving the Episcopal Conference of Benevento and of Lucana-Salernitana. He created a new Episcopal Conference in the area of Basilicata, to be called "Apulia", and which included the dioceses of Potenza, Marsico Nuovo and Venosa; Acerenza and Tricarico; Melphi, Rapolla and Venosa; Tursi-Lagonegro; and Materana and Montepeloso.[17] The diocese of Tursi-Lagonegro was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Potenza-Marsico Nuovo-Venosa.
Chapter and Cathedral
In 1702, both the bishop and the Chapter were living in Tursi. The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Tursi was administered by a Chapter consisting of three dignities (the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, and the Dean) and ten canons.[18] In 1763, there were three dignities and fourteen canons.[19] In 1870, the cathedral was administered by a Chapter, consisting of three dignities and eleven canons.[20]
^Liutprand of Cremona, "Relatio de legatione Constantinopolitana... a. 968.969," ch. 62, in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptorum Tomus III (Hannover: Hahn 1839), p. 361. L. Duchesne (1903), "L'eveché de Montepeloso," (in French), in: Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire XXIII (1903), pp. 363-373, at pp. 365, 371.
^Kehr IX, p. 458, nos. 9, 11. 12; p. 469. Ughelli VII, p. 36. Cappelletti XX, p. 425. For Innocent III: Pietro Giannone (1729), The Civil History of the Kingdom of Naples, Volume 1 (London: Strahn et al.), p. 396. Fraiken (1924), p. 231.
^Ughelli VII, p. 69, gives the date of 8 August 1546, and quotes from the minutes of the papal Consistory of that date to prove his point. His date of 1546 is accepted by Gaetano Moroni, "Tursi", in: Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Tomo 81 (Venezia: Tip. Emiliana 1856), p. 481. So too, Fraiken (1924), p. 231.
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis 68 (1976), p. 676: "a dioecesi Policastrensi, Ecclesiae Anglonensi-Tursiensi adsignanda, municipia vulgo Lagonegro, Latronico, Lauria, Maratea, Nemoli, Rivello et Trecchina."
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis 68 (1976), p. 678: "titulus Anglonensis — ne perirei — in Indicem sedium titularium insereretur." In 2001, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto was named Titular Archbishop of Anglona.
^Christus Dominus 40. Therefore, in order to accomplish these aims this sacred synod decrees as follows: 1) The boundaries of ecclesiastical provinces are to be submitted to an early review and the rights and privileges of metropolitans are to be defined by new and suitable norms. 2) As a general rule all dioceses and other territorial divisions that are by law equivalent to dioceses should be attached to an ecclesiastical province. Therefore dioceses which are now directly subject to the Apostolic See and which are not united to any other are either to be brought together to form a new ecclesiastical province, if that be possible, or else attached to that province which is nearer or more convenient. They are to be made subject to the metropolitan jurisdiction of the bishop, in keeping with the norms of the common law. 3) Wherever advantageous, ecclesiastical provinces should be grouped into ecclesiastical regions for the structure of which juridical provision is to be made.
^The bull Quo aptius(in Latin), in: Acta Apostolicae Sedis 68 (1976), pp. 593-594.
^Bishop Michael was a Greek bishop of Tursi. Kehr IX, p. 468: "Praedecessores eius Leon ep. (laud, in charta ap. Robinson 1. c. IIa 207 n. 16) et Michael, cuius mentio fit in charta a. 1050 ian. 16 data (Trinchera Syllabus graecarum membranarum p. 45 n. 37) itidem Graeci fuisse videntur."
^Bishop Engelbert of Anglona received a letter of advice from Pope Alexander II, concerning the reconciliation of a criminal deacon. Kehr IX, pp. 469-470, no. 1.
^Simeon of Tursi subscribed a document in March 1074. Ughelli VII, p. 71-72. Kehr IX, p. 468: "...a. 1074 m. mart. Blasio abbati b. Anastasii de Carbone datae ... Simeon Tursitanae sedis ep. graecus subscripsit."
^Petrus is the first to call himself Bishop of Anglona. Kehr IX, p. 468: "Primus episcopus, qui Anglonen. se nominat, Petrus subscripsit chartae a. 1110 m. iul. datae"
^Nicolaus was Archdeacon of Anglona. He was elected bishop by the Chapter, after they swore by oath to elect only one of themselves. His election was opposed by Count Richard of Gravina (who had a candidate of his own) and others, including his metropolitan, Andreas of Acerenza. He chose to resign. Kamp, p. 782.
^The anonymous bishop was deposed by the archbishop of Cosenza, by order of Pope Honorius III. The pope accused him of being a simoniac and a dilapidator. Paolo Pressuti, Regesta Honorii papae III Vol. 2 (Roma: Typographia Vaticana 1895), p. 20, no. 3641. Kamp, pp. 782-783.
^Pope Honorius III wrote on 20 December 1221, that the process of deposition of his predecessor, carried out by the archbishop of Cosenza, had received papal confirmation. Pressuti, no. 3641. Kamp, p. 783.
^Kamp, pp. 783-784, indicates that he was not (as Eubel I, p. 90 with note 4, believed) a Cistercian monk. He likewise had nothing to do with Johannes of Anglona (a mistake of Eubel).
^In May 1252, Pope Innocent IV wrote to the legate Cardinal Petrus, Bishop of Albano, to provide a bishop for the vacant see of Anglona. The cardinal died, however, before accomplishing his mandate. In November 1253, the pope charged Henricus, archbishop-elect of Bari, to carry out the same mandate. Kamp, p. 784.
^Deodato da Squillace was instituted by Henricus, archbishop-elect of Bari, on 19 December 1253, and was confirmed by Pope Innocent IV. He was consecrated a bishop by Rinaldo dei Conti di Jenne, Bishop of Ostia, who was elected Pope Alexander IV on 12 December 1254. On 11 October 1255, Pope Alexander wrote to the cathedral Chapter of Anglona, commending Bishop Deodato, who evidently had not yet been installed. Cf. M. Bourel de la Roncière, Les registres d'Alexandre IV I (Paris: Thorin 1895), p. 277, no. 937 (9 December 1255). Kamp, pp. 784-785. Eubel I, p. 90 with note 5.
^In 1259, Bishop Johannes was transferred to the diocese of Nola. Eubel I, pp. 90, 370.
^Gualterius was transferred to the diocese of Taranto on 22 June 1299, by Pope Boniface VIII. He died in 1301. Eubel I, pp. 90, 473.
^Philippus had been Bishop of Minori (c. 1360–1363). He was transferred to Anglona by Pope Urban V on 11 August 1363. He died in 1364. Eubel I, pp. 90, 343.
^Philippus had been the Primicerius of the cathedral Chapter of Salerno. Eubel I, p. 90.
^Zotta was appointed by Pope Clement VII. He never received possession of the diocese.
^Roger was appointed on 16 August 1392 by Pope Clement VII. He was reappointed by Pope Boniface IX (Roman Obedience) on 28 April 1400. Eubel I, p. 91.
^Jacobus was appointed by Boniface IX on 17 May 1399. He was transferred to the diocese of Strongoli on 28 April 1400. It is not clear that his appointment had any actual effect at Anglona. Eubel I, pp. 91, 465.
^Roger joined the allegiance of Boniface IX on 28 April 1400. It is not clear that there was any actual interruption in his episcopate at Anglona. Eubel I, p. 91.
^Giovanni had been bishop-elect of Capaccio. He was appointed Bishop of Anglona by Pope Martin V on 19 March 1418. Eubel I, p. 91; II, p. 89.
^Tussi had been Archdeacon of the Church of Anglona. Eubel II, p. 89.
^Bishop Fenollet was transferred to the diocese of Nicosia on 24 April 1472, by Pope Sixtus IV. He was actually papal Referendary. He was transferred to the diocese of Capaccio on 22 March 1476. He died before 9 August 1476. Eubel II, pp. 89, 118, 203 with note 6.
^Fabrizio was appointed by Pope Julius II on 12 November 1507. He resigned the diocese on 24 April 1510. Eubel III, p. 109.
^Scotti was appointed by Pope Julius II on 14 April 1510. He died in 1528. Eubel III, p. 109.
^Cardinal Carafa was appointed Apostolic Administrator by Pope Clement VII on 31 August 1528. He resigned upon the appointment of his nephew, Oliverius Carafa, as the regular bishop, on 6 September 1536. Eubel III, p. 109.
^Carafa was the nephew of Cardinal Gianvincenzo Carafa. He was appointed bishop of Anglona on 6 September 1536 by Pope Paul III. He resigned the office of bishop on 24 November 1542. Eubel III, pp. 109-110.
^Sforza was administrator of the diocese of Anglona from 24 November to 20 December 1542. Eubel III, p. 110.
^Bishop Bernardino did not reside in the diocese. He in fact served in Rome as Treasurer General of the Holy Roman Church, in the Apostolic Camera. Cappelletti XX, p. 460.
^Elvino remained as bishop when the title of the diocese changed. In any case he continued to remain in Rome as papal treasurer for Pope Paul III. He died on 11 July 1548, at the age of 44. Cappelletti XX, p. 460. Eubel III, p. 110 with notes 8 and 9.
^De Grandis was a cleric of Ferrara. In February 1566 he was living in Rome. He resigned the diocese in 1560. Eubel III, p. 110 with note 10.
^Amanio, a cleric of Cremona, was appointed bishop of Tursi on 5 April 1560, by Pope Pius IV. He was present at the Council of Trent in June 1562. In 1578, due to old age, he was assigned a coadjutor with the right of succession, Nicolò Grana. Grana succeeded to the bishopric on the death of Amanio in 1580. Eubel III, p. 110 with note 11.
^Galletti was a Vallombrosian monk. Gauchat IV, p. 84 with note 9.
^On 7 February 1667, De Luca was transferred to the archdiocese of Nazareth. He was granted the pallium, but died before 24 May 1667. Gauchat IV, pp. 84 with note 10; 254 with note 7.
^Sabbatini: Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica V, p. 86 with note 3.
^On 17 November 1734, Del Quarto was appointed Bishop of Caserta by Pope Clement XII. Ritzler & Sefrin V, p. 86 with note 4; VI, p. 152 with note 2.
^Scondito: Ritzler & Sefrin VI, p. 84 with note 2.
^Pignatelli had been archbishop of Santa Severina. He was transferred to the diocese of Tursi on 14 January 1763. He resigned on 24 July 1778. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 84 with note 3.
^Vecchioni was born in Naples in 1739, and became a priest of the Oratory. He held the degree of Doctor in utroque iure from the University of Naples (1778). He was named bishop of Tursi on 14 December 1778, and was consecrated in Rome on 20 December 1778. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 84 with note 4.
^Cela, a native of Bisceglia, was nominated by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies on 5 October 1819, and confirmed by Pope Pius VII on 17 December 1819. He died on 25 September 1822. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VII, p. 75.
^Poli was a native of Molfetta, born in March 1768. He had been Primicerius of the cathedral Chapter of Molfetta. He was nominated bishop of Anglona by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies on 9 August 1824, and confirmed by Pope Leo XII on 20 December 1824. He suffered a stroke on 13 July 1834, and was incapacitated. He resigned the diocese on 29 June 1836. He died in Naples on 9 February 1841. D'Avino, p. 726, col. 2. Ritzler & Sefrin VII, p. 75.
^Cinque had been Provost Curate of the collegiate church of S. Maria Maddalena in Murano. He was nominated to the diocese of Anglona by King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies on 30 March 1837, and approved by Pope Gregory XVI on 19 May 1837. He was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Paglia of Salerno on 19 November 1837, and took possession of his diocese on 6 January 1838. He suffered a stroke on 26 February 1838, from which he recovered, and a second stroke on 28 November 1841, from which he died. D'Avino, p. 726, col. 2. Ritzler & Sefrin VII, p. 76.
^Born in Naples in 1810, Acciardi was a priest of Naples, and a master of theology. He taught liturgy and preaching eloquence at the episcopal seminary in Naples. He was appointed bishop of Anglona on 20 April 1849 by Pope Pius IX. In the revolution of 1848, and the counter-revolution of 1849, he was an enthusiastic supporter of the cause of the Bourbon monarchy. In 1860, he was imprisoned, and then forced to leave his diocese. He attended the First Vatican Council (1869–1870). He died on 14 March 1883. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VIII, p. 73. Tommaso Pedìo, Vita politica in Italia meridionale (1860-1870),(in Italian), La Nuova Libreria Editrice, 1966, pp. 83, 85, 88, 94.
^Leonasi was born in Lauria (Diocese of Policastro) in 1831. He had been Cantor and parish priest of the collegiate church of S. Giorgio Maggiore in Lauria, an honorary canon in Policastro. On 30 March 1882, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop with the right of succession to Bishop Acciardi, and for that purpose named titular bishop of Alabanda (Caria in Turkey). He succeed Bishop Acciardi on 14 March 1883, as Bishop of Anglona and Tursi. He was a warm supporter of the legitimist Bourbons. He died on 30 April 1893. Il Monitore ecclesiastico 1881, p. 31. Ritzler & Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VIII, pp. 83, 103.
Bibliography
Episcopal lists
Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1913). Hierarchia catholica (in Latin). Vol. I (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana.
Eubel, Conradus, ed. (1914). Hierarchia catholica (in Latin). Vol. II (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana.
Eubel, Conradus; Gulik, Guilelmus (1923). Hierarchia catholica (in Latin). Vol. III (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana.
Falkenhausen, V. von (1996). "La diocesi di Tursi-Anglona in epoca normanno-sveva: terra d'incontro tra Greci e Latini." (in Italian). In: Fonseca, C.D. and Pace, V. (edd.) Santa Maria di Anglona. Galatina: Congedo Editore. Pp. 27-36.
Fraikin, J. (1924), "Anglona–Tursi,"(in French), in: Alfred Baudrillart (ed.), Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, Volume 3 (Paris: Letouzey), pp. 231-238.
Mattei-Cerasoli, L. (1918), "Di alcuni vescovi poco noti,"(in Italian), in: Archivio storico per le provincie Napolitane XLIII (n.s. IV 1918), pp. 363–382.
