The former French diocese of Sisteron existed until the French Revolution. Its see was at Sisteron in southern France and at Forcalquier, in the modern department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Sisteron was the only diocese in France which had two cathedrals. Each cathedral had a Chapter, and the two Chapters voted together when an election was held to elect a new bishop of Sisteron.Albanès, pp. 663-664. The diocese of Sisteron was part of the ecclesiastical province of Narbonensis Secunda, whose Metropolitan was the Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence.

History

In 374, the town of Sisteron belonged to the Province of Gallia Narbonensis Secunda, and held the rank of sixth place.Fisquet, p. 3.

In 890, the bishops of Provence assembled in the Council of Valence, under the leadership of the archbishops of Lyon, Arles, Embrun, and Vienne. The bishops took note of the fact that Archbishop Bernoin of Vienne had been to Rome to complain to the pope of the increasing disorder of the kingdom since the death of Charlemagne. They singled out the invasions of the Northmen and of the Saracens, who had caused the depopulation of the entire area.J.-D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, edito novissima, Tomus XVIII (Venice: Antonius Zatta 1773), pp. 95-96. On 7 July 1057, Pope Victor II wrote a letter of privileges for Archbishop Winimann (Viminien) of Embrun. In the bull, the Pope took note of the invasion, occupation, and devastation of the city of Embrun by the Saracens. Embrun had also been a place of refuge for undisciplined people fleeing from other localities. Sisteron is a distance of some 52 miles from Embrun, and on the main route of invasion from Aix and Marseille. The whole of Provence, in fact, suffered from similar difficulties in the eighth and ninth centuries.Laplane, pp. 45-56. Fisquet, pp. 3-4. This may account, at least in part, for the absence of names of any bishops of Sisteron in the 8th century, and the dubious nature of those in the 9th.

In 1400 and 1401 the Dominican friar, Vincent Ferrer of Valencia, preached in Sisteron.Fisquet, p. 9. Paul Meyer, "Melanges catalans," in:

In the second half of the fifteenth century Sisteron was particularly subject to pestilence. There were outbreaks in 1451, 1458, 1467, 1474, 1479, and 1482. The population was reduced by two-thirds. It returned in 1503, and the people fled. Even the Cathedral Chapter left, taking up residence at Aubignosc until 1508.Fisquet, p. 10. In 1675 the city of Sisteron had a population estimated at some 3,000 persons, and the diocese had ninety-two parishes.Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 359 note 1. In 1764, the guess as to the population had been revised to 4,000 persons but the diocese contained only eighty parishes.Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 382 note 1.

In 1789, before the Revolution the Cathedral Chapter of Sisteron consisted of a Provost, twelve Canons, and twelve beneficiaries (two of whom were curés). But, in the fifteenth century, only two of them were resident in Sisteron; the rest were functionaries of the Roman Curia in Avignon.Fisquet, p. 9. In 1764 there were three dignities (dignités) and seven Canons.Ritzler-Sefrin, VI, p. 382 note 1. They were all abolished by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790 and by the confiscation of church property. The Canons of Sisteron were officially notified of their suppression on 6 December 1790 by the municipal authorities. The Chapter of the co-cathedral of Forcalquier were similarly notified. Bishop de Bovet was also notified, but he replied that he could not comply since he had no bishop or other competent authority into whose hands he could commit his charge.Maurel, pp. 87-88; 305-306.

On 20 March 1791 the electors of the 'département' of Basses-Alpes, into which Sisteron had been swept, met at Digne to choose a new bishop. On the third ballot they elected Jean-Baptiste-Romé de Villeneuve, the sixty-four year old curé of Valensole as their Constitutional Bishop. On 2 June he was consecrated in the Cathedral of Nîmes by Constitutional Bishop Charles-Benoît Roux. By 1795 most of the people had abandoned the Constitutional Church and returned to their old allegiances. Villeneuve died on 23 December 1798 without having reconciled with Rome.

After the Concordat of 1801 negotiated by First Consul Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, the diocese of Sisteron was suppressed by papal authority (not the false authority of a civil government), and its territory was assigned to the diocese of Digne.G-Catholic, Diocese of Sisteron, France

Bishops

to 1000

[Chrysaphius (ca. 449–452)]Albanès (p. 663-665) points out that Chrysaphius is undoubtedly a bishop, but there is no evidence to assign him to Sisteron. Duchesne, p. 288, declines even to put him on the list of bishops. Johannes I (500–516 ?)Joannes belonged to a rich senatorial family, and during his administration he built twelve churches and founded two monasteries using his own funds. He was bishop in the time of King Gundebaud of Burgundy (473-509). Albanès, pp. 665-666. Valerius (517)Valerius took part in the Council of Epaona on 6 September 517: Sirmond, p. 899. Avolus (ca. 541–554)Albanés, pp. 667-668. Duchesne, p. 288. Genesius (573)Bishop Genesius was present at the Council of Paris that met in November 573. Albanés, p. 669. C. De Clercq, Concilia Galliae, A. 511 – A. 695 (Turnholt: Brepols 1963), p. 214. Pologronius (584–585)Bishop Pologronius subscribed the acts of the Council of Valence on 22 May 584. He was also present at the Council of Mâcon in October 1585. Albanés, p. 669-670. C. De Clercq, pp. 236, 249. Secundinus (I.) (614)Bishop Secundinus subscribed the acts of the Council of Paris of 10 October 614. Nothing more is known of him. Albanés, p. 671-672. C. De Clercq, pp. 281. Johannes (II.) (812–860)On 26 March 812, Bishop Joannes founded the monastery of Volx at Bauli, with twelve Benedictine monks. The document on which this information rests, dated by its handwriting to the eleventh century, however, has been accused of being a forgery. Albanés appeals to the authority of Dom Jean Mabillon, who knew of the document's errors and did not label the document a forgery. Albanés is using the argument from authority along with the argument from silence, both dubious procedures. His theory is that the episcopal signatories are later ratifications of the original charter, and thus a list of ninth century bishops. Every diocese and monastery in Christendom, however, wished to have multiple charters, issued as often as possible by as many authorities as possible, from pope and king down to local lord and canon. Albanés interpretation is doubtful. Albanés, pp. 672-674. The Livre Vert of Sisteron assigns Bishop Joannes a reign on 47 years. Viventius (ninth century)Viventius presul is actually a subscriber to the foundation document of the monastery of Volx 812, along with three other bishops. He cannot be the Bishop of Sisteron along with Bishop Joannes, as Louis Duchesne has pointed out (p. 288 note 3). Albanés, pp. 672-674; Instrumenta, p. 441. This is the oldest document in which Sisteron is designated as a County: Fisquet, p. 4. Magnibert (ninth century)The Livre Vert of Sisteron assigns a reign of 61 years to Magnibert, which is hardly creditable. It is the only reference to this supposed bishop. Albanés, p. 676. Amantius (ninth century)Amantius is one of the bishops who subscribed the charter of Volx at Bauli in 1812, and after 61 years of Viventius' episcopacy, he succeeded, and ruled for eleven years more, according to the Livre Vert. Implausibilities become impossibilities. Albanés, pp. 676-677. Cf. Duchesne, p. 288 note 3. Secundinus II. (ninth century)Secundinus was also a signatory to the charter of 812. Albanés, p. 677. Duchesne remarks that Secondinus was indeed a bishop of Sisteron, but anterior to Charlemagne: Duchesne, p. 288 note 3. Virmagnus (ninth century)The alleged bishop is called Magnus in the Livre Vert, and Virmagnus in the charter of 812. None of these ninth century bishops appears anywhere else. Magnus ruled for twenty-one years, according to the Livre Vert. Albanés, pp. 677-678. Cf. Duchesne, p. 288 note 3. Bonus (867)Bonus executed a document of property exchange with Bishop Paul of Apt on 4 July 867. The Livre Vert records that Bonus was bishop for fifty-five years. Albanés, pp. 678-680. Duchesne, p. 288 no. 7. Vincentius (end of ninth century)The Livre Vert says that he reigned eleven years. Albanés, p. 680, points out the confusion with Viventius. ? Eustorgus (tenth century)Eustorgus is credited with a forty-four year reign by the Livre Vert. Nothing else is known of him. He has been confused with Bishop Eustorgus of Toulon. Albanés, pp. 680-681. Arnulphus (c. 925 ?)The Livre Vert gives Arnulfus sixteen years of rule, though some scholars put it at 41 years. There is no other source. Albanés, pp. 681-682. Johannes (III.) (mid-tenth century)Bishop John is said to have founded the monastery of Ganagobie, which had been part of his patrimony, and to have given it to Cluny. He is known only from the Livre Vert. Albanés, pp. 682-683. Ours (967)Albanés, pp. 683-684. ? Rudolf (I.) (981)Rudolph is not mentioned in the Livre Vert. A bishop Rudolfus occurs in a charter of Saint-Victor, where a general assize of Count Guillaume of Provence was held at Manosque. Bishop Pons of Marseille and Abbot Adalard of Saint-Victor pled against Bishop Rudolfus, one Imon, and their heirs. Bishop Rudolfus is mentioned three times, but without the name of his diocese. Since Manosque (some 36 miles northeast of Aix) is in the territory of the diocese of Sisteron, it is concluded that Rudolfus must be the bishop of Sisteron. That is a weak case. Count Guillaume was holding general assizes where he happened to be, and people from all over Provence came to him seeking justice. The Counts established a capital at Forcalquier (some 14 miles from Manosque) around this time (Albanés, p. 687). There is no other evidence for Rudolfus except this one charter. Albanés, pp. 684-685.

1000 to 1400

Frodo (999–1015?)Bishop Frodo signed a charter on 9 December 999. At Marseille on 6 January 1005 he participated in the election of Pontia as Abbess of Saint-Sauveur. He is named by Pope Sergius IV (1009-1012) in a bull for the Abbey of Montmajour. He established the body of sixteen Canons at the Collegiate Church of Forquiers. It is not known when his episcopate came to an end. Albanés, pp. 685-687. Durandus (1015 ?–1020 ?)Bishop Frodo and Bishop Durandus are mentioned in connection with a new church of Saint-Promacius and Saint-Mauricius near Forcalquier, which was dedicated on 17 November 1030. This is the only evidence, taken from the Grand Cartulaire de Saint-Vincent, for the existence of Bishop Durandus. His dates are purely conjectural (and quite wrongly given in Albanés as 915–920). Albanés, pp. 687-688; Instrumenta pp. 443-444. Pierre (I.) (1023–1043) Pierre was brother of Feraud, bishop of Gap. Albanés, pp. 689-690. Géraud ? (1031 ?–1045 ?) Pierre (II.) (1043)Pierre II was nephew of Pierre I. After the death of the uncle, the nephew's father Raimbaud bought the Bishopric of Sisteron for his young son. For seventeen years Raimbaud plundered the wealth of the diocese. It appears, however, that young would-be bishop Pierre was actually elected bishop of Vaison according to canon law. Albanés, pp. 692-694. Gérard (I.) Chevrier (1060–1080 ?)In 1060, Hugues, abbot of Cluny and Papal Legate, held a large Council of all the bishops of Provence at Avignon to deal with the plight of Sisteron. The Council elected Gérard Chevrier, the founder of the monastery of Oulx, to be the bishop. He was sent to Rome, where he was consecrated by Pope Nicholas II. On his return, he was denied entry into Sisteron by its inhabitants, and therefore he took up residence at Forcalquier. The latest positive evidence for Bishop Gérard Chevrier bears the date 21 March 1074. Albanés, pp. 694-696.