The Archdiocese of Taranto is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in southern Italy, on a bay in the Gulf of Taranto. Its suffragan sees are the dioceses of Castellaneta and Oria.

History

In a local Tarantine legend, according to a document of the 11th or 12th century, the Gospel was preached in Taranto by St. Peter the Apostle. He had arrived in the city in AD 45, along with Saint Mark, on their way to Rome. Amasianus was a gardener or greengrocer, whom Peter converted to Christianity. It is only much later that the Tarentines claim that Amasianus was consecrated a bishop. It is also stated that St. Cataldus was consecrated by St. Peter the Apostle. The real Cataldus was an Irish bishop from Rachau (or Rachan) of the 6th century, who happened to die in Taranto during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The city also honors the martyr St. Orontius. Orontius, the son of an imperial treasurer, had been converted to Christianity by Justus, a disciple of St. Paul, who had landed at the port of Saint Cataldus and preached to the population in the locality of Lecce in the time of Nero, despite harassment by imperial officials. They returned to Corinth, where St. Paul consecrated Orontius the first bishop of Lecce, and the party returned to Lecce to continue their evangelization. The first bishop whose date is known is Petrus (not Innocentius) (496). In the pontificate of St. Gregory the Great (590–604), the names of three bishops who filled the episcopal chair are known: Andreas (590), Joannes (601), and Honorius (603). Archbishop Joannes (978) is the first who had the title of archbishop. Even under the Byzantines, Taranto never adopted the Greek Rite. Stephanus perished in the battle of Nelfi (1041) fought by the Greeks and the Normans. Draco (1071) erected the cathedral. Filippo (1138) was deposed for supporting the antipope Anacletus II and died in the monastery of Chiaravalle. Archbishop Angelo was employed in several embassies by Innocent III. Jacopo da Atri was slain in 1370. Marino del Giudice (1371) was one of the cardinals condemned by pope Urban VI in 1385. Cardinal Ludovico Bonito (1406) was one of the few who remained faithful to Gregory XII. Cardinal Giovanni d'Aragona (1478) was the son of King Ferdinand I of Naples. Giovanni Battista Petrucci suffered for the complicity of his father in the conspiracy of the barons. Cardinal Battista Orsini died in 1503 in the Castle of Sant' Angelo. Cardinal Marcantonio Colonna (1560) introduced the Tridentine reforms and established the seminary. Girolamo Gambara (1569) was a distinguished nuncio. Lelio Brancaccio (1574) suffered considerable persecution on account of his efforts at reformation. Tommaso Caracciolo (1630), a Theatine, was reported to have died in the odour of sanctity.

Early 20th century

The city of Taranto forms a single parish divided into four pittagerii, each of which contains a sub-pittagerio. It includes the Basilian Abbey of S. Maria di Talfano, where there are still some Albanians following the Greek Rite.

Bishops

Erected: 5th century Latin Name: Tarentinus Elevated: 10th century Latin Name: Tarentinus

from 978 to 1400

from 1400 to 1600

from 1600 to 1800

since 1800

Auxiliary bishop

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

Books

Reference Works

Studies

Acknowledgment