Bishop of Tortona

Diocese of Tortona Dioecesis Derthonensis
Tortona Cathedral and the palace of Bishop on the right
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Genoa
Statistics
Area	2,350 km2 (910 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 281,420 274,695 (97.6%)
Parishes	314
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	2nd Century
Cathedral	Cattedrale di S. Maria Assunta e. S. Lorenzo
Secular priests	106 (diocesan) 58 (Religious Orders)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Vittorio Francesco Viola, OFM (Bishop-elect)
Emeritus Bishops	Martino Canessa
Website
www.diocesitortona.it

The Diocese of Tortona (Latin: Dioecesis Derthonensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northern Italy, spanning parts of three regions of Piedmont (Province of Alessandria), Lombardy (Province of Pavia) and Liguria (Province of Genoa). It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Genoa and forms part of the ecclesiastical region of Liguria.

According to legend, which is, however, a late one, the first Bishop of Tortona was St. Martianus martyred under the Emperor Hadrian. It is certain that, in the first half of the fourth century, Tortona was subject to the diocese of Vercelli.

The first bishop, according to Fedele Savio, was St. Innocent, whom he believes was the predecessor of St. Exuperantius (381), the first of whom we have certain historical record, and who was highly praised in a sermon of Maximus of Turin. Few other names of bishops of the early period are known; but from the tenth century the list is more complete, comprising: Giseprandus (about 943), who was at the same time Abbot of Bobbio; Ottone (1080), a follower of the schism of Emperor Henry IV; Guido (1098), who went to Palestine; Bishop Pietro, one of those who in 1241 were made prisoners by Emperor Frederick II, while on their way to attend the Council of Rome.