The Diocese of Ostuni (Latin: Dioecesis Ostunensis or Hostuniensis) was a Roman Catholic diocese located in the town of Ostuni in the province of Brindisi in the region of Apulia in southern Italy. The diocese was in existence by the mid-11th century. In 1818, the diocese was suppressed, and its ecclesiastical territory assigned to the Archdiocese of Brindisi."Diocese of Ostuni" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Diocese of Ostuni" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016 In 1821, the diocese was revived, but the archbishops of Brindisi were made its perpetual administrator. From 1980 to 1986, Brindisi and Ostuni were suffragans of the ecclesiastical province of Lecce. In 1986, the diocese of Ostuni was completely suppressed and united to the archdiocese of Brindisi.

History A bishop of Ostuni in 596, named Melatius, is reported by Pius Bonifacius Gams.Gams, p. 910 column 1. It has been shown by Francesco Lanzoni, however, that Melatius was a French bishop of "Rotumo", not a bishop of Ostuni.Lanzoni (1927), Le diocesi d'Italia dalle origini al principio del secolo VII (an. 604), , (Faenza: F. Lega), p. 318: "nel Registrum Gregorii, a cui pare ci richiami l'an. 596, si trova nel 601 {J-L, 1831) un « Melantio Rotumo » o Rotumensi e Rotomagensi, evidentemente un vescovo gallo, non di Hostunum."

From 1250 to 1258, Ostuni belonged to the principate of Taranto, under Manfred, the son of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.Kamp, p. 681.

A diocesan synod was held in Ostuni by Bishop Giulio Cesare Carafa in 1586.Constitutiones editae in dioecesana synodo Hostuneensi. Anno Domini 1586. . Romae: apud Iacobum Ruffinellum, 1588.

After the French Following the extinction of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Congress of Vienna authorized the restoration of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. Since the French occupation had seen the abolition of many Church institutions in the Kingdom, as well as the confiscation of much Church property and resources, it was imperative that Pope Pius VII and King Ferdinand IV reach agreement on restoration and restitution. Ferdinand demanded the suppression of fifty dioceses.

A concordat was finally signed on 16 February 1818, and ratified by Pius VII on 25 February 1818. Ferdinand issued the concordat as a law on 21 March 1818.F. Torelli (1848), La chiave del concordato dell'anno 1818 I, second edition (Naples: Fibreno 1848), pp. 1-19. On 27 June 1818, Pius VII issued the bull De Ulteriore, in which, the decision was made to suppress permanently the diocese of Ostuni, and to incorporate its territory into the diocese of Brindisi.Pius VII, Bullarii Romani Continuatio Tomus 25 (Rome 1853), p. 58 § 15: "Archiepiscopalis ecclesia Brundusina nullam habebit suffraganeam. Supprimendo tamen episcopalem ecclesiam Ostunensem illius civitatem ac dioecesim praedictae archiepiscopali ecclesiae Brundusinae in perpetuum adjungimus atque incorporamus."

The loss of their political status, as well as their bishop and their cathedral, pleased no one in Ostuni. A delegation of clergy and laity was immediately sent to Rome to complain to Pope Pius and to petition him to rescind the losses they had suffered because of "De Ulteriori'.Collezione degli atti emanati dopo la pubblicazione del Concordato dell'anno 1819, Parte terza (1820 a 1825) (Napoli: De Turchini 1830), pp. 78-79: "Cum autem hujusmodi suppressione, et unione, ex eo tempore humiles et iteratae nobis a dilectis filiis modernis Capitulo, et Canonicis infrascriptae Collegiatae Ecclesiae, nec non Clero etiam per deputatos ad urbem mossos, nec non Communitate, et hominibus Civitatis Ostunensis delatae sint preces, quibus iidem reintegrationem Episcopalis illius Cathedrae sub eodem saltem Antistite, qui territorio nuper suppressae Dioecesis preest, incenso studio postularunt...'" Impressed by their statements, Pius authorized consultations with the SC Consistorial and with the Commission for the Implementation of the Concordat, and other advisors. This led to the issue, on 14 May 1821, of the bull "Si Qua Prae Ceteris."Collezione degli atti ... Vol. 3, pp. 76-90. Pepe, pp. 189-194. The bull cancelled all the arrangements since 1818 to suppress the diocese of Ostuni and subject its institutions to the diocese of Brindisi; it re-erected the diocese, the bishopric, the cathedral, and the cathedral Chapter of Ostuni. It appointed the archbishops of Brindisi to be the perpetual administrators of the diocese of Ostuni.Collezione degli atti ... Vol. 3, p. 81: "... restituimus, reponimus, et plenarie reintegramus, Illamque quatenus opus sit, Ostunensem Episcopalem nuncupandam Ecclesiam cum sua congrua donatione et in ea sedem Episcopalem cathedram et dignitatem, ita tamen, ut hujusmodi de novo ut infra erigenda et instituenda Episcopalis Ecclesia et dioecesis ab uno eodemque tempore existente Archiepiscopo Brundusinensi, qui simul hujusce Episcopalis Ecclesiae Ostunensis perpetuus administrator existat, eidem Ecclesiae ejusaque civitati et Dioecesi Ostunensi praesit...."

New metropolitan archdiocese and suppression of others In accordance with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, the Episcopal Conference of Apulia petitioned the Holy See (Pope) that Lecce, which had seen a tremendous increase in population and had become the capital of an Italian civic province, be made a metropolitan and that a new ecclesiastical province be created. After wide consultations among all affected parties, Pope John Paul II issued a decree on 20 October 1980, elevating Lecce to the status of metropolitan see. He also created the new ecclesiastical province of Lecce, whose constituent bishoprics (suffragans) were to be: Brindisi (no longer a metropolitanate, though the archbishop allowed to retain the title of archbishop), Otranto (no longer a metropolitanate, though the archbishop allowed to retain the title of archbishop), Gallipoli, Nardò, Ostuni, and Uxentina-S. Mariae Leucadensis (Ugento).Acta Apostolicae Sedis 72 (Città del Vaticano 1980), pp. 1076-1077.

Diocesan Reorganization

Following the Second Vatican Council, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the council's decree, Christus Dominus chapter 40,Christus Dominus 40. Therefore, in order to accomplish these aims this sacred synod decrees as follows: 1) The boundaries of ecclesiastical provinces are to be submitted to an early review and the rights and privileges of metropolitans are to be defined by new and suitable norms. 2) As a general rule all dioceses and other territorial divisions that are by law equivalent to dioceses should be attached to an ecclesiastical province. Therefore dioceses which are now directly subject to the Apostolic See and which are not united to any other are either to be brought together to form a new ecclesiastical province, if that be possible, or else attached to that province which is nearer or more convenient. They are to be made subject to the metropolitan jurisdiction of the bishop, in keeping with the norms of the common law. 3) Wherever advantageous, ecclesiastical provinces should be grouped into ecclesiastical regions for the structure of which juridical provision is to be made. Pope Paul VI ordered a reorganization of the ecclesiastical provinces in southern Italy. Pope Paul VI ordered consultations among the members of the Congregation of Bishops in the Vatican Curia, the Italian Bishops Conference, and the various dioceses concerned.

On 18 February 1984, the Vatican and the Italian State signed a new and revised concordat. Based on the revisions, a set of Normae was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation. According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, aeque personaliter, was abolished. The Vatican continued consultations which had begun under Pope John XXIII for the merging of small dioceses, especially those with personnel and financial problems, into one combined diocese.

On 30 September 1986, Pope John Paul II ordered that the archdiocese of Brindisi and the diocese of Ostuni merged into one diocese with one bishop, with the Latin title Archidioecesis Brundusina-Ostunensis. The seat of the diocese was to be in Brindisi, and its cathedral was to serve as the cathedral of the merged diocese. The cathedral in Ostuni was to have the honorary titles of "co-cathedral"; the cathedral Chapter was to be a Capitulum Concathedralis. There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Brindisi, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council. The territory of the new diocese was to include the territory of the suppressed dioceses of Ostuni.Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (Città del Vaticano 1987), pp. 668-670.

Bishops of Ostuni Erected: 11th Century Latin Name: Ostunensis Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Brindisi (until 1980), then Lecce. to 1370

Deodatus (Datto) (attested 1059, 1098)Kehr IX, p. 404: "inde a saec. XI med. proprios episcopos habuisse videtur, quorum primus Deodatus chartae Eustasii Orietan. archiep. a. cr. 1059 datae (A. Gallo, ed. Codice diplomatico normanno di Aversa I 16 n. 11 ad a. 1098." A bishop of 'Stunensis' was present when Pope Alexander II consecrated the principal church at Montecassino on 1 October 1071: Leo Marsicanus, "Chronicon Casinensis", in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptorum Tomus VII (Hannover: Hahn 1846), p. 720, line 4. Pepe, p. 8. ... Robertus (attested 1120? – 1137)Robertus: Pepe, pp. 11-12. ... Joannes Mammuni (attested 1140 – 1160)Joannes Mammuni: Pepe (1891), pp. 12-18. Petrus (attested 1169)Petrus: Gams, p. 910, column 1. Pepe (1891), pp. 19-23. Kamp, p. 682, note 9. ... Maroldus (attested 1182 – 1185)Maroldus: Pepe (1891), pp. 23-26. Kamp, p. 682. Ursileo (attested 1188 – 1208)Ursileo (not Ursiolus): Pepe (1891), pp. 26-38. Kamp, pp. 682-684. ... Raynaldus (attested 1217)Raynaldus: Kamp, p. 684. Thaddeus (attested 1220 – 1225)Thaddeus: Eubel I, p. 381. Kamp, p. 685. ... Petrus de Sabastiano (attested 1236 – 1267)Petrus: Eubel I, p. 381. Kamp, pp. 685-687. Sede vacante (attested 1272 – 1274)Kamp, p. 687. Robertus (attested 1275 – 1297)Robbertus: Kamp, p. 687. ... Nicolaus (attested 1306) Philippus Aegidius de Altrachia, O.P. (1329 – 1336)While Bishop Petrus was still alive, Pope John XXII had interposed a reservation on the appointment of his successor. Perhaps unaware of this, the Chapter met and in disagreement chose two different bishops, Simon the Archdeacon of the Church of Ostuni and Angelo the Cantor in the same Church. Pope John rejected both candidates, and, on 19 July 1329, appointed the Franciscan priest, Aegidius de Altrachia. G. Mollat, Jean XXII. Lettres communes, Vol. 8, p. 327, no. 45770. Eubel I, p. 381. Francesco Cavalleri (1337 – 1362)In another contested election following the death of Bishop Aegidius, Francesco Cavalleri and Francesco de Vena of Teramo were both chosen. The election was voided, and Pope Benedict XII appointed Francesco Cavalleri on 24 March 1337. Benoît XII. Lettres communes Tome 1 (Paris: Fontemoing 1903), p. 378, no. 4059. Eubel I, p. 381. Pietro Calici, O.P. (1362 – 1370)

1370 to 1818

Hugo da Scuria, O.Min. (1370 – 1374) Bartolommeo Mezzavacca (1374 – 1378)Bishop Bartolommeo was transferred to the diocese of Rieti in 1378. Eubel I, pp. 381, 416. Nicolaus de Severola, O.Min. (1380 – ? ) Avignon Obedience Joannes Picolbassis (c. 1380 – 1383) Roman ObedienceGiovanni was provided (appointed) by Urban VI. Eubel I, p. 381. Joannes (1383 – 1412) Roman ObedienceThis Giovanni was also provided (appointed) by Urban VI. Eubel I, p. 381. Antonio Palucci, O.Min. (1413 – 1423?) "Pisan Obedience"Bishop Antonio had been appointed by Pope John XXIII on 13 February 1413. Eubel I, p. 381.