BERTINORO, Diocese of. - In Romagna, in the province of Forlì, suffragan of Ravenna. It is identified with the ancient Cesubium or Sussubium, mentioned among the donations of Pepin to the Church (Liber Pont., ed. L. Duchesne, I, Paris 1886, p. 454). Cavalcaconte, lord of Brettanorium (Sussubium), gave it back to Pope Alexander III in 1177 (op. cit., II, ibid. 1892, p. 441). It was erected into a diocese in 1360 when, after Forlimpopoli had been destroyed by Cardinal Albornoz, Bishop Roberto Boyssel moved there permanently, assuming the title of the new residence. The church of Forum Popilii is, however, of more remote origin. Roberto's successor (d. 1365) was Roberto de Bretteville (1365-78), who erected the parish of St. Catherine as the cathedral, followed by Tebaldo Pellisier (1378-95), to whom Urban IV entrusted the temporal jurisdiction of B. and Cesena. Later, Giovanni Ruffo Theodoli (1505-12), cardinal and nuncio of Leo X to Charles V; Andrea Caligari (1579-1613), who rebuilt the cathedral; Giambattista Missiroli (1701-34), who built the seminary.
The diocese was suppressed in 1803, re-established in 1817 and in 1824 united by Leo XII to Sarsina, until 1853. The bishops of B. continued to be the administrators of the diocese of Sarsina until 1872 and afterwards often had it united ad personam. At present the diocese has 64 parishes, 5 Marian sanctuaries (Lago, Suasia, Fornò, Carminate, Madonna di Fuori), 87 diocesan priests and 4 regulars, with 50,000 inhabitants over 307 sq km. (1948).
Among the monastic foundations in the territory of B. are noteworthy: St. Ruffillo, a Benedictine abbey of Forlimpopoli, which the abbot Benedetto placed under the protection of the Apostolic See in 1181. It was given in commendam to the bishop of B. and in 1364 annexed by Pius IV to the chapter mensa of St. Peter's in the Vatican. In the 18th century a long dispute arose between the bishop of B. and the nullius of Forlimpopoli. In 1847 Pius IX suppressed the nullius, assigning
Forlimpopoli to the diocese of B. and Meldola to the diocese of Forlì. In 1867, the collegiate church of the Canons of St. Ruffillo also disappeared (L. Ricci, S. Ruffillo di Forlimpopoli, Forlì 1914).
On the hill of B. stood the Benedictine abbey of St. Mary in Urano, which passed in the 12th century to the Camaldolese, who made it a center of culture: in 1431 Ambrogio Traversari (v.) was elected there prior general of the Camaldolese. Destroyed by a fire, it was rebuilt in 1376 in a more pleasant location. In its church are the relics of Sts. Maglorio, Sansone and Pascasio (A. Pasini, B. e i suoi santi protettori, Forlì 1932). Suppressed in the Napoleonic period, the complex was preserved by the counts Manzoni of Forlì. The bombardments of 1944 destroyed the monastery (from 1898 the mother house of the Poor Clares of the Most Holy Sacrament, called Sisters of B.) and damaged the church, with canvases by Cignani.
In 1228 Egidio, bishop of Forlimpopoli, entrusted to the Camaldolese of Urano a chapel, in a locality called Lago, where an ancient image of the B.V. was venerated. In 1262 it was transformed into a church, known as the sanctuary of the Madonna del Lago (crowned by the Vatican Chapter in 1704), principal patroness of the city and diocese of B. (L. Gatti, La Madonna del Lago, Forlì 1902).
In the territory of B. there is also the abbey of Fornò, with a round temple, containing a venerated image of the B. Virgin, donated in the 15th century by a converted corsair, Pietro di Durazzo. It later passed to the Canons Regular of Porto di Ravenna. In the 18th century it declined, Napoleon despoiled it, Pius IX in 1857 saved it from utter ruin (cf. P. Nadiani, L'abbazia di S. Maria delle Grazie di F., Rome 1910).
Bordering on B. was also the Benedictine abbey of St. Ilario di Galeata (St. Ellero), where Pope Stephen II was a guest, returning from France in 754. Suppressed in 1784, it was transferred to the diocese of Borgo S. Sepolcro (D. Mambrini, Galeata nella storia e nell'arte, Bagno di Romagna 1936).
Monuments. - The cathedral, dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of the city, has three naves and dates from the end of the 17th century (P. Amaducci, Ecclesia S. Catharinae de platea, Bertinoro 1934). The exterior, Doric, entirely in exposed brick was restored in 1942. The temple of St. Donato near Polenta in Romanesque style with three naves, apses and crypt, from the 9th century, restored between 1890-96, is a national monument (P. Amaducci, La chiesa di Polenta, Forlì 1921). The church of St. Cassiano in Pennino was rebuilt (9th cent.). The beautiful church of St. Anthony in Predappio dates from 1934.
Bibliography6 works
Serafino Prete