The two towns, Sovana and Pitigliano, are situated in the Province of Grosseto, Central Italy. The
Diocese of Sovana, was in existence by 680, and was a
suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Siena. Sovana was an ancient Etruscan city, and preserved a certain importance till the end of the thirteenth century, having been the capital of the counts of Aldobrandeschi, lords of Southern Tuscany, from the days of
Charlemagne. In 1230 the diocese lost territory which had been given as a gift to
Territorial Abbacy of Santi Vincenzo ed Anastasio alle tre Fontane in Rome. In 1240 the city withstood a siege by
Emperor Frederick II. Later it passed under the sway of the
Orsini family, who transferred their residence to Pitigliano, mentioned for the first time in 1081. In 1401 the city fell into the power of the
Republic of Siena. In 1434, Count
Gentile Orsini having been killed at Sovana, the people of Pitigliano put the town to fire and sword, and brought about its destruction. The territory of this diocese includes the
Vallombrosan Abbey of Monte Calvello, which was transferred in 1496 by
Pope Alexander VI a new abbey within the city walls.
Diocese of Pitigliano On 11 January 1844,
Pope Gregory XVI created the diocese of Pitigliano, and assigned it
aeque principaliter to the bishop of Sovana. The diocese was renamed as
Diocese of Sovana–Pitigliano (Soanensis–Pitilianensis in Latin), and the former collegiate church of Saints Peter and Paul in
Pitigliano became the new cathedral.
Modern changes The
Second Vatican Council, in order to ensure that all Catholics received proper spiritual attention, decreed the reorganization of the diocesan structure of Italy and the consolidation of small and struggling dioceses. It also recommended the abolition of anomalous units such as exempt territorial prelatures. The
territorial Abbey of Saints Vincent and Anastasius in suburban Rome was one of them, having been suppressed in 1812, then handed over to the Friars Minor in 1825, though malaria drove them out; in 1867, the Cistercians took over the abbey with a contingent of Trappist friars. The widely dispersed properties which belonged to the abbey and the Catholics living on them had come to be neglected. After extensive consultation, therefore,
Pope John Paul II issued the apostolic constitution
Abbatia SS. Vincentii on 25 March 1981, which reassigned various territories of the abbey to the dioceses in which they were situated. Properties in Tuscany at Orbetello, Monte Argentario, Giglio Island, and Capalbio, along with the parishes established in them, as well as oratories, chapels, cemeteries, and all other ecclesiastical goods, were assigned to the diocese of Sovana-Pitigliano. The diocese's name was changed to
Diocese of Sovana–Pitigliano–Orbetello. On 30 September 1986, the diocese was renamed
Diocese of Pitigliano–Sovana–Orbetello (Pitilianensis–Soanensis–Urbetelliensis in Latin), taking into account regulations that favoured the larger and more important city.
Chapter and cathedral The cathedral of Pitigliano began as a simple parish church, dedicated to S. Mark the Evangelist. In 1509, Pope Julius II raised the parish church to the dignity of a collegiate church, dedicated to St. Peter and Paul. It was administered by a Chapter, composed of an Archpriest and eight Canons. In 1669, the Chapter of the cathedral of S. Pietro in Sovana had one dignity and three Canons. Ughelli (1725) notes that there were two dignities (the Provost and the Dean) and three Canons. There were two parishes in the city of some 400 persons, one of which was the cathedral, whose Provost had the care of the souls of the parishioners.
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. The first synod held in the diocese of Sovana following the decrees of the
Council of Trent on the regular holding of synods took place on 2 May 1601, under the direction of Bishop Metello Bichi (1596–1606). Bishop Ottavio Saraceni (1606–1623) held a synod in Sovana on 1 June 1620. In 1626, Bishop Scipione Tancredi (1624–1637) presided over a diocesan synod. On 9 May 1630, he presided over his fifth diocesan synod. Bishop Enea di Cesare Spennazzi (1638–1644) held a diocesan synod in Sovana in 1639. On 15 October 1682, Bishop Pier Maria Bichi, O.S.B. (1673–1684) convened a diocesan synod in Pitigliano. A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Domenico Maria della Ciaja, O.P. (1688–1713) on 9 May 1690 in Sovana; on 20 April 1693 in Scansano; on 15 May 1696 in Pitigliano; on 22 May 1703 in Pitigliano; and on 3–4 May 1706 in Pitigliano; he held his sixth synod in Pitigliano on 13 May 1709. Bishop Cristoforo Palmieri (1728–1739) held a diocesan synod in Soana on 16–17 June 1732. Bishop Tiberio Borghesi (1762–1772) presided over a diocesan synod in 1768. On 23–24 September 1936, Bishop Stanislao Battistelli (1932–1952) presided over a diocesan synod in Pitigliano, in the episcopal palace. He celebrated another synod in July 1946, which constituted the occasion on which
Pope Pius XII declared
Pope Gregory VII the co-patron of the diocese. ==Bishops==