Praetorian prefecture of Italy
| Praetorian prefecture of Italy Praefectura praetorio Italiae |
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| Praet. Prefecture of the Roman Empire | |||||
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| Capital | Ravenna from 476 | ||||
| Historical era | Late Antiquity | ||||
| • | Established | 337 | |||
| • | Fall of the Western Roman Empire | 476 | |||
| • | Ostrogothic conquest | 493 | |||
| • | Start of Gothic War | 535 | |||
| • | Lombard invasion of Italy | 568 | |||
| • | Foundation of Exarchate of Ravenna | 584 | |||
| Today part of |
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The praetorian prefecture of Italy (Latin: praefectura praetorio Italiae, in its full form (until 356) praefectura praetorio Italiae, Illyrici et Africae) was one of four Praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided. It comprised the Italian peninsula, the Western Balkans, the Danubian provinces and parts of North Africa. The Prefecture's seat moved from Rome to Milan and finally, Ravenna.
The prefecture was established in the division of the Empire after the death of Constantine the Great in 337, and was made up of dioceses. Initially these were the Diocese of Africa, the Diocese of Italy, the Diocese of Pannonia, the Diocese of Dacia and the Diocese of Macedonia (the last two were until c. 327 united in the Diocese of Moesia). Eventually the Diocese of Italy was split in two, the Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy (Italia suburbicaria: "Italy under the City", also referred to as "Diocese of the City of Rome") and the Diocese of Annonarian Italy (Italia annonaria: "provisioning Italy").
In 347, the praetorian prefecture of Illyricum was established, comprising the dioceses of Pannonia, Dacia and Macedonia. Vulcaius Rufinus was the prefect, 347-352. The new prefecture was abolished in 361 by Julian and reestablished in 375 by Gratian. Its territory was contested between the two halves of the Empire, until the final partition in 395, when the Diocese of Pannonia was split off from the Illyricum and joined to the Western Empire and the prefecture of Italy as the Diocese of Illyricum.
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