MARTIRANO. – An ancient diocese in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria. The small town lies on the slopes of the Sila mountains, in the valley of the Savuto (*Sabatum*) river, which flows into the Plain of St Euphemia, the ancient *Clampeia*. It is very doubtful whether it is the Roman *Mamertum* mentioned by Strabo. As a diocese, it was of Latin institution and its existence is attested only from the mid-11th century.
Therefore, the bishops prior to the year 1000, cited by Ughelli, Lucenzio, Fiore and Gams, refer to *Martirianum* in southern Tuscany. The earliest mention of M. is in the bull of Stephen IX, dated 6 March 1058, where it appears among the suffragan dioceses of Salerno. Shortly afterwards, however, it is listed as the sole suffragan of Cosenza, which had at that time been elevated to metropolitan status. It remained in this position until its suppression in 1818, when it was aggregated to Nicastro.
The diocese of M. was very small: apart from the episcopal see, it included Conflenti, Motta S. Lucia and Scigliano, with a total population of fewer than 10,000 souls. Within its territory was the Cistercian monastery of Corazzo, where Joachim of Fiore served as abbot.
Among its prelates worthy of mention are: Filippo di Matera of Cosenza, Grand Chancellor of Frederick II; Rinaldo d’Aquino, scholar and jurist of the second half of the 13th century; Angelo Greco, humanist; Aurelio Bienato of Milan; and Giacomo Palamolla.
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