HUESCA, DIOCESE of. – City and diocese in the homonymous province of Spain, suffragan of Saragossa. The diocese has an area of 5026 sq. km., and numbers 110,100 inhabitants, of whom 110,000 are Catholics, distributed among 196 parishes served by 125 diocesan priests and 92 religious priests, 13 male and 44 female religious communities (1949). The Seminary, founded by Bishop Trago in 1597, was restored and enlarged several times, especially in 1924.
Ancient Osca, about which there is no certain information before the 6th century, is an important city of Aragon. During the Visigothic period its bishops are found at several national and regional councils, but during Muslim rule they had no fixed residence, living for a long time at S. Juan de la Peña under the name of Aragonensium episcopi. After its territory had been reconquered by King Peter of Aragon, Bishop Peter I returned to his ancient see in 1096. This diocese was divided in 1571, and its separated areas thereafter formed the bishoprics of Jaca and Barbastro. Construction of the cathedral church began in 1275 on the foundations of the mosque called Micleida by the Moors, which had already been purified in 1096; however, the work proceeded slowly until the energetic efforts of Bishop Gaston of Moncada intervened in 1397. From 1497 to 1575 this temple, in pure Gothic style and dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord, underwent profound modifications. The diocese has as its patron the deacon s. Lorenzo, who, according to an ancient tradition, originated from H. The Cathedral possesses a historical and artistic treasure of great value, with relics from the 11th–16th centuries; the choir stalls, from the 16th century, are of great merit. In the well-ordered and very rich archive, one may note the « Itacion » codex of King Wamba, the acts of the Council of Jaca (1063), a book of hymns (11th century), and precious choir books.