Adria
The Diocese of Adria-Rovigo: A Brief Introduction
Hello everyone, today I would like to talk to you about the Diocese of Adria-Rovigo, a seat of the Catholic Church in Italy. The diocese is a suffragan of the Patriarchate of Venice and belongs to the ecclesiastical region of Triveneto. According to 2020 data, the diocese has 190,041 baptized individuals out of a total population of 198,335 and is led by Bishop Pierantonio Pavanello.
Territory
The diocese includes the territories of all 44 municipalities in the upper and middle Polesine, except for some fractions that belong to other dioceses. The Episcopal seat is the city of Rovigo, where the Rovigo Cathedral is located. In Adria, on the other hand, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and the adjacent old Cathedral of San Giovanni stand. The territory is divided into 5 vicariates and 109 parishes.
History
The date of the foundation of the Diocese of Adria is not known with certainty. According to tradition, Bishop Apollinare of Ravenna, bishop of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia at the end of the 2nd century, was the founder, but there are no documents confirming this hypothesis. It is known that during the Lateran Council of 649, the Bishop of Adria, Gallinostius Hadrianensis, was mentioned. However, certain information about the diocese only begins with the third bishop, Giovanni I.
On March 14, 863, Pope Nicholas III, by conferring a diploma to Bishop Leone, added temporal power to the spiritual jurisdiction over the diocese, initiating the "Episcopal Fief". During this period, powers were granted over the County of Gavello, which were then extended to other lands. In 920, Bishop Paolo left Adria due to pressure from barbaric populations to the north and continual flooding, transferring to Rovigo.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the Diocese of Adria-Rovigo is one of the most important seats of the Catholic Church in Italy. Its territory is very vast and includes numerous municipalities in the upper and middle Polesine. The history of the diocese is ancient and rich in interesting events. I hope this brief summary has provided you with some useful information about the Diocese of Adria-Rovigo.
