CAJAZZO, Diocese of. - On the border between Molise and Campania. C. is the ancient Calatia, a city of Oscan origin occupied successively by the Etruscans, the Samnites and then conquered by the Romans, of whom it became a municipium; Cicero (Epist., I, III) records its customs and usages. It was devastated by the barbarian and Saracen invasions. Justinian donated it to the abbey of Montecassino, from which it was later taken away to be incorporated into the duchy of Benevento, and then into the Norman kingdom.

While legend traces the evangelization of C. back to St. Peter or St. Priscus, the origin of the diocese of C. is chronologically uncertain. The first bishop whose name is known is Algisio, of imprecise date, who would have been succeeded by a Gisulfo; but the regular series of bishops begins only with Orso, elected in 966, whose name is recorded in a privilege of 967; he was followed by St. Stephen Menicillo, patron of the city. St. Ferdinand of Aragon was the sixth bishop of this series. Among the most important prelates are numbered Fabio and Ottavio Mirto Frangipane: the former took part in the Council of Trent and was nuncio in France, Flanders and Germany. To him is due the erection of the seminary (1564), later enlarged in 1633 and 1770.

In 1818, C. was united by Pius VII to the diocese of Caserta and C. became a connected church. In 1852 Pius IX re-established the diocese, a suffragan of Capua.

Numerous are the Roman ruins, among which are statues, a cistern and the remains of a theater. The city has a Lombard castle and portals and tombs of the Renaissance. The Cathedral, ruined in 1185, was rebuilt and embellished in 1284; to the very ancient title of St. M. Assunta was then added that of St. Stephen. The church of the Annunziata has a marble portal of the 15th century.

Among the ancient convents of C. and of the diocese: St. Francis (12th century), later suppressed; St. Maria delle Grazie (1496) of the Observant Friars Minor, later of the Capuchins; St. Croce Monti Bernae (10th-11th century) of the Benedictines until 1521, then a benefice; St. Maria di Gesù of the Augustinians (suppressed in 1652); St. ma Annunziata di Maria of the Dominicans, founded in 1400 and suppressed in 1652; Benedictine hospice in Villa Sclavia.

The diocese has: 35 parishes, 51 diocesan priests and 32,500 inhabitants, all Catholic (1948).

Bibliography10 works

BIBL.: E. Sacco, Dizionario geografico, istorico, fisico del Regno di Napoli, I, Naples 1795, p. 142; Ughelli, VI, pp. 438-60; X, pp. 22-23; Cappelletti, XX, p. 261-77; P. B. Gams, Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Regensburg 1898, p. 863; R. Bianchi, Memorie per la reintegrazione della sede vescovile di C., Naples 1831; G. Faraone, Notizie storiche e biografiche della città e diocesi di C., ibid. 1869; P. F. Kehr, Italia Pontificia, VIII, Berlin 1935, p. 271; Cottineau, I, col. 357; B. Di Dario, Notizie storiche delle città e diocesi di C., Cajazzo 1940.

Noemi Crostaroa Scipioni

@incollection{ec3_cajazzo_diocesi_di, author = {Crostarosa, Scipioni Noemi}, title = {Cajazzo, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {308--309}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/cajazzo-diocesi-di} }

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Cajazzo, Diocese of

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