Bishopric of Verona
Encyclopedia
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It has its seat in Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
.
History
The Carmen Pipinianum (Pippin's Song) (9th century), which includes a description of Verona and its churches, gives a list of the first eight bishops: St. Euprepius, Dimidrianus (Demetrianus), Simplicius, Proculus, Saturninus, Lucilius (Lucillus, Lucius), Gricinus, and Saint Zeno.Less important is the famous so-called Velo di Classe, now believed to be the altar cover from San Firmo e Rustico in Verona, pianeta (chasuble
Chasuble
The chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, as well as in some parts of the United Methodist Church...
) of Classe in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, on which are represented not only the bishops of Verona, but also other saints and bishops of other dioceses venerated at Verona in the ninth century.
St. Zeno having been the eighth bishop, the period of St. Euprepius, and therefore of the erection of the see, must be placed not before the temporary peace given to the Church under Emperor Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
(260), but rather under the first period of the reign of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
, when the Church enjoyed peace. In the same "Carmen" mention is made of St. Firmus and St. Rusticus, martyred at Verona, probably under Maximian
Maximian
Maximian was Roman Emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent...
.
Zeno is called a martyr in the "Carmen" and is placed in the time of Gallienus. At any rate the existence of a distinguished St. Zeno, Bishop of Verona, a contemporary of St. Ambrose of Milan, and author of a series of religious discourses, is historically attested, so as the ancient documents know but one bishop of that name, it must be concluded that, as early as the ninth century, the legend had corrupted chronology.
For the rest, we know from the sermons of St. Zeno how deeply paganism was still rooted in Verona in his time, particularly in the country districts.
His successor was Syagrius. Other bishops were: St. Petronius (c. 410); Gaudentius (465); St. Valens (522–531); Solatius and Junior, who joined the schism of the Three Chapters
Schism of the Three Chapters
The Schism of the Three Chapters was a schism that affected the Roman Catholic Church in North Italy lasting from 553 to 698 AD, although the area out of communion with Rome contracted throughout that time...
; Hanno
Hanno
Hanno may refer to:* Hanno, Saitama, Honshū, Japan* Hanno , a lunar crater* Hanno , the pet white elephant of Pope Leo XPeople named Hanno:*Several ancient Carthaginians, including:...
(about 758); Ratoldus, who imposed community life on the canons (806) and reorganised the education of the clergy. Among the masters of his school the deacon Pacificus
Pacificus
Pacificus was a disciple of St. Francis of Assisi, born probably near Ascoli, Italy, in the second half of the twelfth century; died, it is thought, at Lens, France, around 1234.-Poet Laureate:Local authors identify him with a certain William of Lisciano...
was eminent for his knowledge of Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, although the Italian historian Cristina La Rocca disputes this acclaim as twelfth century fabrication. Nottingus (840) was the first to denounce the heretic Godescalcus. Adelardus (876) was excommunicated for invading the monastery of Nonnantula. Ratherius
Ratherius
Ratherius was a teacher, writer, and bishop. His political work led to his becoming an exile and a wanderer. He is also known as Rathier or Rather of Verona.-Biography:...
(930), a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
and a distinguished author, was thrice driven from his see by usurpers, among whom was the notorious Manasses of Arles. He also fostered learning in the cathedral school
Cathedral school
Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools...
. Joannes (1027) was distinguished for sanctity and learning. Bruno (1073), who wrote some interpretations of Scripture, was killed by one of his chaplains.
In the time of Bishop Ognibene (1157), a distinguished canonist, Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III , born Ubaldo, was pope from 1 September 1181 to his death.A native of the independent republic of Lucca, he was born ca. 1100 as Ubaldo, son of Orlando. He is commonly referred to as a member of the aristocratic family of Allucingoli, but this is not proven...
died at Verona, in 1183, after meeting Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
and holding a synod there. There, too, was held the conclave which elected Pope Urban III
Pope Urban III
Pope Urban III , born Uberto Crivelli, was Pope from 1185 to 1187. He was made cardinal and archbishop of Milan by Pope Lucius III, whom he succeeded on November 25, 1185...
, who spent nearly all of his brief pontificate at Verona. Bishops Jacopo da Breganze (1225) and Gerardo Cossadocca (1254) were exiled by the tyrant Ezzelino. Manfredo Roberti (1259) suffered insult and imprisonment at the hands of the Ghibellines (the emperor's supporters against the papacy). Bonincontro (1295) died in the odour of sanctity. Bartolommeo della Scala (1336), a Benedictine, was calumniated to his nephew Mastino, Lord of Verona, who slew him with his own hand, and among the penalties for this crime inflicted by Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII , born Jacques Fournier, the third of the Avignon Popes, was Pope from 1334 to 1342.-Early life:...
was the revocation of the privilege of nominating bishops.
Pietro della Scala reformed the lives of the clergy and vainly endeavoured to bring the canons under his own jurisdiction instead of that of the Patriarch of Aquileia
Patriarch of Aquileia
The Patriarch of Aquileia was an office in the Roman Catholic Church. During the Middle Ages the Patriarchate of Aquileia was a temporal state in Northern Italy. The Patriarchate of Aquileia as a church office was suppressed in 1752....
. When the Visconti dynasty obtained possession of Verona, Pietro was banished. Francesco Condulmer (1439) founded the college of acolyte
Acolyte
In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone who performs ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In other Christian Churches, the term is more specifically used for one who wishes to attain clergyhood.-Etymology:...
s to add to the beauty of public worship and to form a learned and pious clergy; the school still exists. This institution was necessary because, with the establishment of the University of Verona, the cathedral school had been suppressed, and the young clerics who attended the university were at that time dispensed from officiating in church functions: the acolytes of the new college were obliged both to study and to attend ecclesiastical functions. Ermolao Barbaro
Ermolao Barbaro (bishop)
Ermolao Barbaro was an Italian prelate. He is sometimes referred to as "the elder" to distinguish him from his relative Ermolao Barbaro.- History :...
also did much for the reform of the diocese.
Cardinal Giovanni Michiel (1471) was a munificent restorer of the cathedral and the episcopal palace, as also was Cardinal Marco Corner (1592). For Gian Matteo Giberti
Gian Matteo Giberti
Gian Matteo Giberti was an Italian diplomat, Bishop of Verona.-Biography:Born at Palermo, he was the natural son of Francesco Giberti, a Genoese naval captain. In 1513 he was admitted to the household of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, and advanced so rapidly in Latin and Greek that he soon became an...
(1524), Pietro Lippomano and Luigi Lippomano
Luigi Lippomano
Luigi Lippomano was an Italian cardinal and hagiographer.- Life :Illegitimate son of a Venetian patrician, Lippomano was destined for an ecclesiastical career. He studied at Padua and eventually entered into service at the papal court in Rome...
(1544, 1548) see articles under their respective names. Agostino Valier
Agostino Valier
Agostino Valier was an Italian Cardinal and Bishop of Verona.- Life :Valier was born in Venice. His last name is also listed as Valeri and Valieri. Son of Alberto Valier and Lucia Navageri. Nephew of Cardinal Bernardo Navagero , on his mother's side...
(1565) was a cardinal. Sebastiano Pisani (1650) was a zealous pastor. Giovanni Bragadin (1733) was a mirror of all the virtues; in his episcopate the Patriarchate of Aquileia was suppressed, and Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
brought the chapter under the bishop's jurisdiction and laid down wise rules for the government of the diocese. Giovanni Andrea Avogadro (1790) abdicated the see to return to the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
Councils of Verona worthy of note are those of 1184, at which the pope presided, and 1276, against the Bogomilian Patarenes who were somewhat numerous in the Veronese territory, even among the clergy.
At Verona is the mother-house of the Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and their college for the Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
n missions. The Congregation of the Stimmatini was also founded at Verona.
The diocese was suffragan of Aquileia, then of Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
; since 1818 it has been suffragan of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
List of Bishops of Verona
- Giuseppe Zenti 2007-
- Flavio Roberto Carraro 1998–2007
- Attilio Nicora 1992–1998
- Giuseppe Amari 1978–1992
- Giuseppe Carraro 1958–1978
- Giovanni Urbani 1955–1958
- Andrea PangrazioAndrea PangrazioAndrea Pangrazio was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop, born 1 September 1909.Andrea belonged to the Pangrazio family of Asiago. He became Archbishop of Gorizia....
as Apostolic Administrator 1954 – 1955 - Girolamo Cardinale 1923–1954
- Bartolomeo BacilieriBartolomeo BacilieriBartolomeo Bacilieri was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Verona from 1900 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1901.-Biography:...
1900–1923 - Luigi Di CanossaLuigi di CanossaLuigi di Canossa SJ was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Verona from 1861 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1877.-Biography:...
1861–1900 - Benedetto Riccabona de Reinchenfels 1854–1861
- Giuseppe Luigi Trevisanato 1852
- Pietro Antonio Mutti 1840–1852
- Giuseppe Grasser 1828–1839
- Innocenzo Maria Lirutti 1807–1827
- Giovanni Andrea Avogadro 1790–1805
- Giovanni Morosini 1772–1789
- Nicolò Antonio Giustinian 1759–1772
- Giovanni Bragadin 1733–1758
- Francesco TrevisaniFrancesco Trevisanithumb|250px|Portrait of [[Pietro Ottoboni |Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni]] by Francesco Trevisani. The [[Bowes Museum]], [[Barnard Castle]], [[County Durham]], [[England]]....
1725–1732 - Marco Gradenigo 1714–1725
- Giovanni Francesco BarbarigoGiovanni Francesco BarbarigoGiovanni Francesco Barbarigo was an Italian cardinal and nephew of Blessed Gregorio Barbarigo .-References:...
1698–1714 - Pietro LeoniPietro LeoniPietro Leoni was a Jesuit priest from Italy who later worked in the Soviet Union. He was born in Italy and educated at the Russicum, a Jesuit seminary established to prepare Catholic priests for missionary work in Russia. In 1941 Leoni went along with an Italian regiment aiding the German invasion...
1691–1697 - Sebastiano Pisani 1669–1690
- Sebastiano Pisani 1650–1668
- Marco Giustiniani 1631–1649
- Alberto Valier 1606–1630
- Agostino ValierAgostino ValierAgostino Valier was an Italian Cardinal and Bishop of Verona.- Life :Valier was born in Venice. His last name is also listed as Valeri and Valieri. Son of Alberto Valier and Lucia Navageri. Nephew of Cardinal Bernardo Navagero , on his mother's side...
1565–1606 - Bernardo NavageroBernardo NavageroBernardo Navagero was a Venetian ambassador and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.-Life:Venetian patrician, son of Gianluigi Navagero and Lucrezia Agostini, he studied at the University of Padua...
as Apostolic Administrator 1562–1565 - Girolamo Trevisani 1561–1562
- Agostino Lippomano 1558–1559
- Luigi LippomanoLuigi LippomanoLuigi Lippomano was an Italian cardinal and hagiographer.- Life :Illegitimate son of a Venetian patrician, Lippomano was destined for an ecclesiastical career. He studied at Padua and eventually entered into service at the papal court in Rome...
1548–1558 - Pietro Lippomano 1544–1548
- Gian Matteo GibertiGian Matteo GibertiGian Matteo Giberti was an Italian diplomat, Bishop of Verona.-Biography:Born at Palermo, he was the natural son of Francesco Giberti, a Genoese naval captain. In 1513 he was admitted to the household of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, and advanced so rapidly in Latin and Greek that he soon became an...
1524–1543 - Marco CornaroMarco CornaroMarco Cornaro , also known as Marco Corner, was the 59th doge of Venice, ruling between 1365 and 1368. His brief reign saw the loss of Venetian territory to Genoa and the Ottoman Empire, though Venice was to enjoy economic growth during this time.-Biography:The Cornaro family to which the future...
as Apostolic Administrator 1503–1524 - Giovanni Michiel 1471–1503
- Ermolao BarbaroErmolao BarbaroErmolao or Hermolao Barbaro, also Hermolaus Barbarus , was an Italian Renaissance scholar.-Education:Ermolao Barbaro was born in Venice, the son of Zaccaria Barbaro, and the grandson of Francesco Barbaro...
1453–1471 - Francesco CondulmerFrancesco CondulmerFrancesco Condulmer was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.He was made cardinal on 19 September 1431 by his uncle, Pope Eugenius IV, and accumulated many offices and dignities. He was Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church , administrator of Narbonne and Amiens...
1438–1453 - Guido Memo 1409–1438
- Angelo Barbarigo 1406–1408
- Giacomo RossiGiacomo RossiGiacomo Rossi was an Italian 'poet', translator and librettist who settled in London early in the 18th century and wrote librettos for George Frideric Handel, between 1710 and 1729....
1388–1406 - Adelardo 1387–1388
- Pietro Della Scala 1350–1387
- Giovanni di Naso 1349–1350
- Pietro de Pino 1348–1349
- Matteo Riboldi 1343–1348
- Bartolomeo Della Scala 1336–1338
- Nicolò 1331–1336
- Teobaldo 1298–1331
- Buonincontro 1295–1298
- Pietro della Scala 1291–1295
- Bartolomeo 1277–1290
- Temidio 1275–1277
- Guido della Scala 1268–1270
- Aleardino (not possessed) 1268
- Manfredo Roberti 1260–1268
- Gerardo Cossadoca 1255–1259
- Iacopo di Breganze 1225–1254
- Alberto 1224–1225
- Norandino 1214–1224
- Adelardo 1188–1214
- Riprando 1185–1188
- Ognibene 1157–1185
- Tebaldo 1135–1157
- Bernardo 1119–1135
- Sigifredo 1113– ?
- Uberto 1111
- Zufeto 1109–1111
- Bertoldo 1102–1108
- Ezelone 1101
- Valfredo 1095–1101
- Valbruno 1094–1095
- Sigebodo 1080–1094
- Bruno 1072–1076 ?
- Usuardo 1070–1072 ?
- Adalberto 1063–1070 ?
- Tebaldo 1058–1061
- Walter 1037–1055
- Giovanni 1016–1037
- Ildebrando 1013–1014
- Otberto 992–1008 ?
- Manasses of Arles 935–946
- St. Euprepius of VeronaEuprepius of VeronaSaint Euprepius of Verona , is venerated as the first bishop of Verona. Not much is known of his life beyond the fact that his name was Greek , which is considered evidence of the antiquity of the Veronese see...
236–250