MURO LUCANO, Diocese of. - City and diocese in the province of Potenza. Over an area of 510.38 sq km, it has a population of 35,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, 14 parishes and 38 diocesan priests (Ann. Pont., 1951, p. 281).
The establishment of the episcopal see dates back to the 11th century as a suffragan of Conza, under whose dependence it still remains. The first bishop, Eustachius, is attested in 1059, present at the consecration of the church of St. Angelo near Melfi, performed by Nicholas III. There follow: Gaudinus, attested between 1100 and 1108, who took part in the consecration of the church of St. Sabino at Canosa with Paschal II present; Robert, who assisted at Conza at the consecration of the Cathedral performed by Archbishop Herbert (1169); then Monteguidoni (1215), John (1217), etc.
During the schism of the antipope Clement VII, the bishop Antonio, elected by Gregory XI, went over to the side of the antipope and, following the murder of Queen Joanna I, withdrew arbitrarily to Polsino, both out of fear of reprisals and because of the protection offered him by the lord of the place. Clement VII naturally hastened to transfer the diocese (1386) and therefore Antonio styled himself from then until 1389 bishop of Polsino, but after that year silence falls on his activity and his end. In 1540, after the transfer of the Florentine Matteo Grifoni, a Vallombrosan (elected in 1528), to Trivento, Paul III entrusted the diocese of M. L. in administration to Cardinal Ascanio Parisani, who governed it for a year. Among the subsequent prelates, the figure of Alfonso Pacelli stands out, a native of Balvani, in the same diocese (1674-1702), for his apostolate on behalf of the Chapter, the community and the episcopal residence.
MONUMENTS
The Christian monuments of M. L. are scanty. Only the Cathedral, dedicated to Mary Most Holy Assumed, is noteworthy, for its Romanesque origin (ca. 1009), but ruined by the earthquake of 1684 and by a fire in 1707, it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1725 at the expense of Benedict XIII. Of some value are the episcopal chair (1631), richly carved, and a painting of 1589, called "the painting of Queen Joanna." It depicts in fact all the figures who acted at the time of the Clementine schism, namely Joanna I, Clement VII, Charles V, Charles VI, Bishop Antonio and Otto of Brunswick, who is kneeling before the Virgin with the Child and Sts. Dominic and Catherine.
A mile from M. L. is the small Romanesque church of S. Maria delle Grazie di Capitignano, the work of Magister Sarolus of M. (late 12th century-early 13th), which preserves, besides the notable remains of its original structure, some good Latin marble, among which a cylindrical altar, two lions and various bucani.