VOLTURARA. — Ancient diocese and town, today Volturara Irpina in the province of Salerno.
It seems to have arisen after the Romans had destroyed “Sebastia” around 200 B.C. In a document of 797 it is called “Veterale.”
The diocese was created by Giovanni XIII in 969, who made it a suffragan of Benevento, which he had elevated to a metropolitan see. But the first known bishop is Giovanni, in 1037; thereafter there are Alderardo in 694; Pelagius, who took part in the Lateran Council in 1059; Ugo in 1229; Benedetto in 1265; Giacomo in 1349, transferred to Telese in 1353, and succeeded by Giovanni da Montepulciano; from 1402 to 1412, Tommaso. Pope Eugenio IV, on 9 April 1434, united the diocese of V. in perpetuity aequae principaliter Corvino (v.), and the first bishop of the united dioceses was Antonio, who was already bishop of Monte
Corvino. Pope Pio VII, with the bull De utiliori dominicae of 28 June 1818, suppressed the two dioceses, uniting them with that of Lucera.
The Cathedral was dedicated first to s. Michele arcangelo and later to Maria s.ma Assunta.