Irsina
The Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina, an important seat of the Catholic Church in Italy, located in the beautiful region of Basilicata. The archdiocese is composed of 13 municipalities of the province of Matera, including Irsina, where the Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is located, and Matera, where the Cathedral of Matera is located.
The archdiocese has about 130,000 baptized out of a population of 150,000 inhabitants, and is led by Archbishop Antonio Giuseppe Caiazzo. In addition, the title of the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo in Montescaglioso is attached to the see.
The territory
The territory of the archdiocese covers 2,095 km² and is divided into 56 parishes, grouped into three vicariates: the Matera vicariate, the Mare vicariate, and the Collina vicariate.
The sanctuaries
Among the most important places of worship of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina, there are various sanctuaries. Among these are the Sanctuary of Madonna della Provvidenza in Irsina, the Church of Santa Lucia and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Picciano in Matera, the Sanctuary of San Francesco da Paola in Matera, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Palomba in Matera, and the Abbey Santa Maria La Sanità del Casale in Pisticci.
History
The Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina has a very ancient history. The diocese of Montepeloso was erected by the Byzantines at the end of the 10th century or the beginning of the 11th century. When the city was conquered by the Normans in 1042, the diocese disappeared. It was only in 1123 that Pope Callistus III reinstated the see and cancelled the union of Montepeloso with the diocese of Tricarico. However, the diocese disappeared again in 1133 when the city was destroyed by the Normans.
The inhabitants of the area repeatedly asked the popes to reconstitute the see, but had to wait until 1460 when the diocese of Montepeloso-Giovinazzo was created, taking its territory from the diocese of Andria. The diocese was immediately subject to the Holy See. In 1818, the diocese was united with the diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti.
Conclusions
The Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina is an important seat of the Catholic Church in Italy, with a very ancient history and rich in meaning for the region of Basilicata. The various sanctuaries present in the territory of the archdiocese are places of great spirituality and devotion for the faithful. I hope I have piqued your curiosity, and if you have the opportunity to visit the region, I highly recommend stopping at these wonderful places of worship!
