Montalto, Diocese of

MONTALTO, Diocese of. - City and diocese in the province of Ascoli Piceno. It has 32,351 inhabitants, almost all Catholics, distributed among 34 parishes, served by 58 diocesan priests and 10 religious; it has a seminary, 2 male religious communities and 12 female ones (1949).

The diocese was erected by Sixtus V with the bull Super universas of 14 Nov. 1586 by dismemberment of the dioceses of Fermo and Ascoli. The first bishop was P. Emilio Giovannini (24 Nov. 1586-1605), and among his successors the following were notable: P. Orsini (1608-40), who convoked the First Synod; G. Cadebò, who erected the Seminary in 1653, in the convent of S. Agostino; A. Paganelli (1673-1710) for the activity he displayed in synods and sacred visitations; F. A. Marcucci of Ascoli (1770-98), who, having been appointed vice-secretary in Rome (1774-85), administered the diocese by means of vicars (A. Rossi-Brunori, La vita e le istituzioni di mons. Marcucci, Ascoli Piceno 1917) and accompanied Pope Pius VI on the journey to Vienna in 1782. Finally F. Saverio Castiglioni of Cingoli (1800-16): created bishop of M. by Pius VII, he was exiled by the French occupation government in 1808 and transferred to Pavia, Mantua and Milan; he returned to his diocese in 1814. Created cardinal in the Consistory of 8 March 1816 and transferred to Cesena, his native city, he became pontiff under the name Pius VIII (1829-30).

Since 1589 the diocese of M. has been a suffragan of Fermo. The history of M., an ancient castle that belonged to the Benedictines of Farfa, owes its greater fame to Pope Sixtus V; the family of Piergentile Ricci (Peretto), father of the future pope, was from M.; although born at Grottammare, the Pope considered M. his native land, where he had made his religious profession in the convent of S. Francesco (1532). Sixtus V (1585-90), having erected the diocese and declared M. a city, exempted it from every duty, granted it a mint, conferred privileges and insignia on the magistrate, as on the cathedral Chapter, and made a gift of precious objects and sacred furnishings to the cathedral church. By the Pope's will the seat of an autonomous government (presidato) was established at M., removed from the jurisdiction of Macerata, which comprised the lands of Ripatransone, M. Monaco, M. Fortino. The controversies that arose between the bishops of M. and the commendatory abbots of Farfa, to determine their respective jurisdictions, were settled by a transaction negotiated by bishop C. Cancellotti in 1664 and then again in 1666 and ratified by Pope Alexander VII with the brief Ex debito of 21 June of the same year. The presidiato continued until 1816.

MONUMENTS: Cathedral: the foundations of the temple of vast proportions were laid during the episcopate of P. Emilio Giovannini (1586-1605) and his successors continued the construction, which was brought to completion under bishop Eleonoro Aronne (1847-87); the portico was raised by bishop L. Bonetti (1887-1911). The original design is by G. Rinaldi, the tower, dome and portico are by the architect L. Paoletti; the recent paintings in the interior are by L. Fontana. S. Agostino, of medieval origin (13th cent. ca.); in 1653, in the adjoining convent, the Seminary was established, but the building is almost demolished. Convent-church of S. Francesco delle Fratte, where Sixtus V, as a Franciscan religious, took his vows (1532).

Treasure: in the cathedral church is preserved a large reliquary (66 cm. high) of silver and gold, with precious stones, donated by Sixtus V (28 July 1586) (F. Pistolesi, Altadunensia, Montalto 1920, pp. 17-21).

Serafino Prete