SALUZZO, Diocese of. - City and diocese in the province of Cuneo, archdiocese of Turin. It extends through the upper valleys of the Maira, Varaita and Po and through the pre-Alpine plain belt of the three valleys. Area 4,450 sq. km.; pop. 110,150 (non-Catholics 150) gathered in 103 parishes. Priests 228; major and minor seminary. Ten male and female religious houses work in the diocese.

The territory of Saluzzo, populated by the Ligurian Vagienni and Salluvii, passed to the Romans (2nd century B.C.); after the fall of the Empire, it appears to have belonged to the Lombards. The first certain mention of S. is found in a document datable to around the year 1000 (1064?). The territory of Saluzzo was part of the county of Auriate (Caraglio) in the Carolingian period; it then passed to the Arduini and, in 1091, to the marquises of Vasto, later marquises of S. (v. below). The city flourished especially in the 15th century (letters, arts, the art of printing) but then declined in the 16th century because of the stifling French influence.

The diocese was erected by Julius II (Sept. 29, 1511), detaching the marquessate's domain from that of Turin; at first immediately subject to the Holy See, from 1728 a suffragan of Turin. For over a century (1550-1700) there were heretical infiltrations (Waldensians and Huguenots) in the upper valleys: a laborious work of evangelization succeeded in checking them and ended by freeing the area completely from heretics. In this regard, particular merit was acquired, besides the secular clergy, by the Capuchins (S.; Acceglio, 1594-1802; Casteldelfino, 1600-1802) and the Jesuits (S., Verzuolo and Dronero). The extent of the diocese underwent numerous changes over the centuries: the principal one was that carried out by Napoleon (1803) with the addition of Pinerolo and of numerous parishes of the plain; its present configuration dates from 1817. Famous abbeys were: S. Costanzo (9th cent. - 1803): Romanesque church preserved; Staffarda (1135-1802): monumental cloister preserved; both male, and Rifreddo (1219-1502), female. Famous in the centuries of the late Middle Ages was the sanctuary of Becetto; now frequented, in the summer season, are those of Valmala (Madonna della Misericordia) and of Crissolo (St. Chiaffredo, Theban martyr, patron of the diocese).

In the pastoral ministry the following bishops stood out: F. Archinto (1546-56): he celebrated synods, visited the diocese and took part in the Council of Trent (1547), transferred to the archbishopric of Milan; G. M. Tapparelli (1568-81): he minutely visited the diocese infested by heretics and saw to the observance of the decrees of Trent; A. Pichot (1583-91): he celebrated synods and visited the diocese; b. G. Ancina (IV, 1603-1604): he visited the diocese, celebrated a synod, laid the foundations of the Seminary and promoted zeal for eucharistic worship, initiating the celebration of Holy Tuesday (a singular Saluzzo feast); F. A. Della Chiesa (1642-62); an illustrious historian, he convened the synod three times; G. F. Porporato (1741-81), zealous and charitable. Working in the Saluzzo area, besides Ancina, were the blesseds: Pietro di Ruffia (?-1365); Stefano Bandelli (1369-1450); Aimone Tapparelli (?-1495); Caterina di Racconigi (1485-1547). Illustrious figures: P. Zaccaria Boverio (1568-1638); C. Denina (v.); G. B. Bodoni (1740-1813); D. Muletti (1755-1808), historian; Diodata Saluzzo (1775-1840), poetess; S. Pellico (1789-1854); G. Casalis (1781-1856); F. Savio (1848-1916) and C. F. Savio (1857-1948), historians. - See pl. CIX.

Plate CIX Above: THRONE ROOM, in Casa Cavassa, now Museo civico. Left: panel with Madonna and devotees, among whom Ludovico II Marquis of Saluzzo and Margherita of Foix (1449) - Saluzzo. Below: CHOIR OF THE CHURCH OF S. GIOVANNI, in Gothic-Piedmontese style (15th cent.) - Saluzzo.(fot. Alinari)

Plate CIX Above: THRONE ROOM, in Casa Cavassa, now Museo civico. Left: panel with Madonna and devotees, among whom Ludovico II Marquis of Saluzzo and Margherita of Foix (1449) - Saluzzo. Below: CHOIR OF THE CHURCH OF S. GIOVANNI, in Gothic-Piedmontese style (15th cent.) - Saluzzo.(fot. Alinari)

SALUZZO, DIOCESI di - Exterior of the Cathedral begun in 1491; the bell tower is from 1771.(phot. Cagliari, Turin)

Bibliography17 works

BIBL.: D. Muletti, Mem. stor.-diplomatiche appartenenti alla città e ai marchesi di S., (fino al 1601), 6 voll., Saluzzo 1820-33; G. Eandi, Statist. della prov. di S., ivi 1833-35, 2 voll.; G. Casalis, Diz. Geogr. stor. statist.-commerciale, XVII, Torino 1848, pp. 95-872; G. Manuel di S. Giovanni, Mem. stor. di Dronero e della Valle Maira, 3 voll., ivi 1868; A. Ferrato, La festa del Martedì Santo a S., Saluzzo 1897; autori vari, Studi saluzzesi, Pinerolo 1901; D. Chiattone, La costruz. della Cattedr. di S., Saluzzo 1902; G. Lobetti-Bodoni, Castelli e monumenti del saluzzese, ivi 1911; G. Barucci, La casa Cavassa in S., ivi 1912; Ministero pubbl. istr., Elenco degli edifici monumentali, IV. Prov. di Cuneo, Roma 1914; C. F. Savio, S. nel sec. XVII (1601-35), Saluzzo 1915; id., La vita saluzzese dal 1791 al 1864, ivi 1921; id., S. stor. dal 1635 al 1730, ivi 1928; id., L'abbazia di Staffarda, Torino 1932; id., S. nel sec. XVIII (1730-92), ivi 1941; G. Monnier, I Gesuiti a S., Padova 1928; G. Vacchetta, La chiesa di S. Giovanni in S., Torino 1931.

Giacomo Soleri

@incollection{ec10_saluzzo_diocesi_di, author = {Soleri, Giacomo}, title = {Saluzzo, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {1709--1711}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/saluzzo-diocesi-di} }

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Saluzzo, Diocese of

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