The Diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo (Latin: Dioecesis Ventimiliensis-Sancti Romuli) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Liguria, northern Italy. The name of the historic Diocese of Ventimiglia (dioecesis Albintimiliensis, and Intimiliensis) was changed in 1975. It was originally a suffragan diocese of the Metropolitanate of Milan up to 1806, when it was transferred to the Metropolitanate of Aix; but it has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Genoa since 1818.

History

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It is probable that Ventimiglia had a bishop from the fifth century; the first known is Joannes (680).

Bishop Gianfrancesco Gandolfo (1623–1633) negotiated the peace between Savoy and Genoa, which was proclaimed on 10 August 1634.

French occupation

In 1798, at the beginning of the occupation of Ventimiglia by the French, the French Directory ordered the confiscation of all the gold and silver in the churches and convents of the diocese. The Cathedral lost its large silver chandeliers, and other precious objects including the silver bust and reliquary of S. Secondo. The Biblioteca Aprosiana lost its manuscripts and incunabula. The diocese of Ventimiglia had been reduced to only thirty-six parishes: two in Monaco, nineteen in the domains of the House of Savoy, and fourteen in the Republic of Geneva. In 1802, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara, the Papal Legate to First Consul N. Bonaparte, wrote to the Chapter of Ventimiglia, in the absence of a bishop, demanding the surrender to the French of those parishes in territory under French control. These included the two parishes in Monaco (Mentone and Roccabruna) and the nineteen which had belonged to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Chapter complied, and the diocese was reduced to only fourteen parishes.

On 5 April 1806, at the demand of Bonaparte, now Emperor Napoleon I, Pope Pius VII issued the Bull Expositum cum nobis, by which the diocese of Ventimiglia was removed from the metropolitanate of Milan, and made a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Aix.

Restoration

On 30 May 1818, however, Pope Pius VII, in the Bull Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum, returned Ventimiglia to Italian control, in the form of the House of Savoy, which had been restored to the expanded Kingdom of Sardinia (the King was also Doge of Genoa), and assigned the diocese to the metropolitanate of Genoa.

On 10 July 1886, the small parish of Garavano, which had fallen into French territory, was transferred by agreement between the Bishop of Ventimiglia and the Bishop of Nice from the diocese of Ventimiglia to the diocese of Nice; the transfer was approved by Pope Leo XIII.

On 3 July 1975, the Sacred Congregation of Bishops in the Roman Curia issued a decree, requested by Bishop Angelo Raimondo Verardo, (1967–1988) and authorized by Pope Paul VI, granting a change in the name of the diocese to Ventimiglia-San Remo; a second decree raised the Church of S. Syrus in the city of San Remo to the status of co-cathedral in the diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo.

Synods

A diocesan synod was an irregular 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.

A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Domenico Vaccari (1502–1511), in which the subject of witches and the procurement of abortions figured prominently. Bishop Stefano Spinola presided over his first diocesan synod in 1608. A synod, his second, was held by Bishop Mauro Promontorio (1654–1685) on 5–6 July 1683. In 1784 Bishop Domenico Maria Clavarini, O.P. (1775–1797) presided over a diocesan synod.

A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Lorenzo Biale (1837–1877) on 29, 30 and 31 May 1844. Bishop Tommaso Reggio (1877–1892) held another synod on 19, 20, and 21 September 1881. Reggio held his second synod at the diocesan seminary on 3 September 1886.

Cathedral and Chapter

The Chapter of the Cathedral of S. Maria Assumpta consisted of three dignities (the Provost, the Archdeacon and the Cantor) and eight Canons. On 8 June 1182 Pope Lucius III (1181–1185) confirmed the Chapter in its possessions, rights, and privileges, and granted them the right to elect their own Provost. They were also granted the right of presentation of suitable persons to the churches and chapels in the diocese in their possession. These two grants removed powers from the exercise of the bishop of the diocese and placed them in the hands of the Chapter.

The Chapter had a set of Statutes, which were last codified in 1539 and remained in force down into the end of the 18th century. According to these statutes, a Canon might take leave of his Chapter duties for as long as three months per year, without having to have an explanation, so long as the time was not consecutive and a substitute priest or chorister was provided by the Canon so that his duties were carried out. In 1624, however, due to a diminution in the number of Canons, the regulations were tightened so that no more than three Canons could be absent at any one time. By 1787 the situation had improved, and several Canons instituted proceedings against the Bishop and other Canons to return to the old rule. The Sacred Congregation of Rites in the Roman Curia granted their petition.

In 1752 a dispute arose between the Bishop and the Chapter of Ventimiglia. The custom had been that the Tenth (decima), which was owed to the bishop and the Tenth owed to the Chapter in the town of Ventimiglia and in eight villages and rural districts, were collected at the same time by the same officials. The collection officials were appointed in alternate years by the bishop and the Chapter, and the collections were placed in one warehouse. This custom was followed up to 1716. When some of the villagers, however, refused to pay, the bishop sent his procurators to collect his due portion; the Chapter complained, wishing to observe the old custom, but the bishop demanded a fee for his services; when the Chapter tried to collect the dues on their own, the villagers refused to hand them over. The Chapter then instituted suit in the Papal Court, demanding a return to the old custom. The judgment was that the bishop's procurator and the Chapter's procurator could not be compelled to work together as one.

Bishops

Diocese of Ventimiglia

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to 1400

1400 to 1700

since 1700

Diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo

Name Changed: 3 July 1975

• Giacomo Barabino (7 Dec 1988 – 20 Mar 2004 Retired)
• Alberto Maria Careggio (20 Mar 2004 – 25 Jan 2014 Retired)
• Antonio Suetta (25 Jan 2014 – )

Parishes

In a bull of 29 June 1831, Pope Gregory XVI reassigned eight parishes from the diocese of Nice and twenty-five from Albenga to the diocese of Vintimiglia. In 1921 there were 75 parishes, staffed by 210 secular and religious priests.

Of the 99 parishes, all but two are in the Province of Imperia, Liguria. The others are in the Province of Cuneo in Piedmont.

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