PINAR DEL RIO, DIOCESE of. – City of the Republic of Cuba in the Antilles, and seat of a diocese, suffragan of S. Cristoforo dell'Avana.
It has an area of 13,500 sq km and a population of 410,000, of whom 400,000 are Catholics, divided among 48 churches and 27 parishes with 15 diocesan priests and 10 religious priests; 1 boys’ school and 3 girls’ schools (Ann. Pont., 1952, p. 318).
The city of P. del R. was erected as a diocese on 20 February 1903 by Leo XIII’s brief Actum praeclare. Its first bishop was Msgr. Braulio de Orne y Vivanco (1903–1907), who was succeeded by Msgr. Manuel Ruiz y Rodriguez.
Among the most important buildings, the Cathedral, dedicated to s. Rosendo, should be mentioned.
BIBL.: s. V. ENOCH. Eur. Am., XLIV, pp. 976–80; Fermin Fraga Barro, s. V. in Cath. Enc., XII, p. 101. Enrico Josi