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The city and territory of Carpi belonged originally to the Countess Matilda (1046–1115), from whom it passed in 1115 to the Holy See. From 1215 to 1319 it was subject to Modena and from then until 1525 was ruled by the Pio family, vassals of the Holy See.
Under Pope Julius II (1512) and Pope Leo X (1515) the Archpriesthood of the Collegiate Church of Carpi, and its territory, became immediately dependent on the Holy See, nullius dioecesis, having previously been under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Modena.[3]
Carpi was created a see only in 1779, by Pope Pius VI, in the Bull Inter plurimas[4] and assigned as a suffragan to the diocese of Bologna.[5] The right of nomination of a bishop during a vacancy was granted to the Duke of Modena, provided that a nomination was made within a time fixed by the pope.[6] The new Cathedral was assigned a Chapter, which was to consist of four dignities (the Archpriest, the Archdeacon, the Provost, and the Dean) and seventeen Canons.[7] The town (oppidum) of Carpi was raised to the status of a city (civitas).[8]
The first bishop was the former Jesuit, Francesco Benincasa, whose Religious Order had been dissolved by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. Benincasa protested so loudly and publicly that he was arrested on 25 December 1773, and was jailed until 12 September 1775. Benincasa was consecrated a bishop on 9 April 1780 by the Bishop of Modena, Giuseppe Maria Fogliani. He was assigned a part of the ducal residence as his episcopal palace.[9]
In 1855 the diocese of Carpi was made a suffragan of the diocese of Modena by Pope Pius IX.[10]
In 1922, the diocese had a Catholic population of c. 78,000, with 31 parishes; there were 78 diocesan priests, 4 priests of Religious Orders, 18 seminarians, 4 brothers and 54 sisters.[11] The diocese in 2018 has thirty-nine parishes, including the cathedral parish.[12]
^Pius VI (1843). Bullarii Romani continuatio (in Latin). Vol. Tomus sextus continens pontificatus Pii VI. [, annum], quartum ad octavum. Rome: typographia Reverendae Camerae Apostolicae. pp. 156–159.
^Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 149, note 1.
^The co-consecrators were the mitered Abbot Malvolti of S. Pietro de Modena, and mitred Abbot Ceresara of Mantua. Ángel Santos Hernández (2000). Jesuitas y obispados (in Spanish). Vol. Tomo II. Madrid: Univ Pontifica Comillas. pp. 333–335. ISBN978-84-89708-99-0.
^Umberto Benigni, "Carpi," The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908; retrieved: 15 Sept. 2018.
^Diocesi di Carpi, Parrochie; retrieved 16-09-2018. (in Italian)
^Benincasa was born in Sassuolo (diocese of Reggio), and was a Councilor of Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena, and Archpriest of the Collegiate Church of Carpi. He was nominated the first bishop of Carpi by the Duke of Modena on 15 November 1779, and was appointed by Pope Pius VI on 13 December 1779. He died on 13 December 1793. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 149 with note 2. Hernández, p. 334.
^Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 149 with note 3.
^Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VI, p. 130; VII, p. 135.
^Caleffi was born in Modena in 1761. He was named Bishop of Carpi on 2 October 1826. He was transferred to the diocese of Modena e Nonantola on 5 July 1830 by Pope Pius VIII. Ritzler-Sefrin, Hierarchia catholica VII, pp. 135, 273.
^Bassetti was born in Parma in 1772. He was appointed Bishop of Carpi on 28 February 1831, and consecrated on 19 June by the Bishop of Parma, Domenico Turchi. He died on 13 May 1839, Ritzler-Sefrin, VII, p. 135.
^Cattani was born in Modena in 1795. He was appointed Bishop of Carpi on 7 January 1850. He died on 28 January 1863. Notizie per l'anno 1851 (Annuario pontificio) (in Italian). Roma: Salviucci. 1851. p. 100. Ritzler-Sefrin, VII, p. 135.
^Araldi was born in Modena in 1819. He was appointed to the diocese of Carpi on 27 October 1871. He resigned the diocese in December 1891, and was given the title of titular Bishop of Amathos (Palestine). He died in 1895. Ritzler-Sefrin, VIII, pp. 93, 184.
^Righetti was born in San Colombano Cornice in 1843. He was appointed Bishop of Carpi on 14 December 1891. He died on 6 June 1924. Ritzler-Sefrin, VIII, pp. 184.
^Pranzini had already been Auxiliary Bishop of Bologna (1921–1924). He died on 22 June 1935. Luigi Bortolotti (ed.), Biografia e poesie del bolognese mons. Giovanni Pranzini vescovo di Carpi (Modena) (1875-1935) (Bologna: La grafica emiliana, 1975).
Ritzler, Remigius; Sefrin, Pirminus (1958). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentis aevi. Vol. VI (1730-1799). Patavii: Messagero di S. Antonio. Retrieved 2016-07-06. pp. 175–176.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Carpi". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.