Diocese of Piacenza

Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio Dioecesis Placentina-Bobiensis
The Romanesque façade of the Duomo of Piacenza
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Modena-Nonantola
Statistics
Area	3,716 km2 (1,435 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 275,000 265,000 (96.4%)
Parishes	428
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	4th Century
Cathedral	Basilica Cattedrale di S. Giustina e S. Maria Assunta (Piacenza)
Co-cathedral	Concattedrale dell’Assunzione di Nostra Signora Maria (Bobbio)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Gianni Ambrosio
Website
www.diocesipiacenzabobbio.it

The Italian Catholic Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio (Latin: Dioecesis Placentina-Bobiensis) in northern Italy, has existed since 1989. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola. The historic Diocese of Piacenza was combined with the territory of the diocese of Bobbio-San Colombano, which was briefly united with the archdiocese of Genoa. In 1582 Piacenza was made a suffragan of the archdiocese of Bologna; it was later dependent upon the Holy See. The current bishop is Gianni Ambrosio.

The Lombards took possession of Piacenza at the beginning of their invasion and thereafter it remained in their power. From the ninth century the temporal power was in the hands of the bishops until the twelfth century, when the town became a commune governed by consuls and later (1188) by a podestà.

St. Antonius, who is said to have belonged to the Theban Legion, suffered martyrdom at Piacenza in the second or third century. The first known bishop is St. Victor, present at the Council of Sardica (343); St. Savinus, present at the Council of Aquileia (381), was probably the Savinus to whom St. Ambrose wrote several letters. Other bishops include St. Maurus, St. Flavianus, and St. Majorianus.

Erected: 4th Century
Latin Name: Placentinus
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Modena e Nonantola