List of Ancien Régime dioceses of France

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French Ancien Régime Roman Catholic dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces were heirs of Late Roman civitates (themselves created out of Gaulish tribes) and provinces.

Ecclesiastical provinces (colored) and dioceses of France in 1789
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Ecclesiastical provinces (colored) and dioceses of France in 1789

Contents

[edit] Historical sketch

Most of them were created during the first christianization of Gaul, in the 3rd to 5th centuries.

But, at several occasions during the Middle Ages or the Ancien Régime, new dioceses were created, replacing older ones or carved out of them. For instance, fighting against the Cathar heresy entailed the creation of many new dioceses in the early 14th century. All the same, in 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the ecclesiastical map of France still very much recalled that of Roman Gaul. This explains why many dioceses and provinces did not coincide with French borders, with their head cities lying in present-day Belgium, Germany or Switzerland.

In 1790, this map was entirely revised to fit the new administrative map: dioceses were now to coincide with départements (the new administrative units). Ancien Régime dioceses all disappeared, then, in 1790. Many former bishoprics remained heads of the new dioceses, but many cities lost their bishop. Even so, in those cities, the former cathedral very often kept its rank as a cathedral church. This explains why many post-Revolutionary episcopal sees bear the name of several cities. For instance, in the département of the Drôme, only the city of Valence retained its bishop, the former episcopal sees of Die and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux being suppressed, but the bishop retained the title of bishop of Valence, Die and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux.

Here follows a list of Ancien Régime dioceses, as of 1789, on the eve of the Revolution. With the exception of those dioceses which were created in the Late Roman period (before the 6th century), whose date of creation generally cannot be established, we provide the date of creation and, when appropriated of suppression of the bishopric. Dioceses whose sees were not within the borders of the kingdom of France are in brackets.

[edit] Listing of dioceses by church province

[edit] Province of Aix (Narbonensis Secunda)

[edit] Province of Arles (Viennensis Secunda)

out of which (1475):

[edit] Province of Avignon
  • (Archdiocese of Avignon) — Became a metropolitan see in 1475.
  • (Diocese of Carpentras)
  • (Diocese of Cavaillon)
  • (Diocese of Vaison)

[edit] Province of Auch (Novempopulania)

[edit] Province of Besançon (Maxima Sequanorum)

  • Archdiocese of Besançon
  • (Diocese of Basel)
  • Diocese of Belley — Moved to Belley in 537 (former see in Nyon).
  • (Diocese of Lausanne)

[edit] Province of Bordeaux (Aquitania Secunda)

[edit] Province of Bourges (Aquitania Prima)

  • Archdiocese of Bourges
  • Diocese of Clermont, out of which:
  • Diocese of Limoges, out of which:
    • Diocese of Tulle — Created 1317.
  • Diocese of Le Puy

out of which (1678):

[edit] Province of Albi
  • Archdiocese of Albi — Became a metropolitan see in 1678. Out of which:
    • Diocese of Castres — Created 1317.
  • Diocese of Cahors
  • Diocese of Mende — Moved to Mende in the 6th century (former see was in Javols).
  • Diocese of Rodez, out of which:
    • Diocese of Vabres — Created 1317.

[edit] Province of Embrun (Alpes Maritimæ)

  • Archdiocese of Embrun
  • Diocese of Digne
  • Diocese of Entrevaux — Actually in the hamlet of Glandèves.
  • Diocese of Grasse — Moved to Grasse in 1244 (former see in Antibes. Belonged to the province of Aix-en-Provence down to 1057.
  • Diocese of Nice
  • Diocese of Senez
  • Diocese of Vence

[edit] Province of Genoa

(Province created in 1133: Northern Corsican sees belonged to this province)

  • Diocese of Mariana — The bishop resides in Bastia
  • Diocese of Nebbio — The bishop resides in Saint-Florent

[edit] Province of Lyon (Lugdunensis Prima)

[edit] Province of Mainz (Germania Prima)

[edit] Province of Narbonne (Narbonensis Prima)

out of which (1317):

[edit] Province of Toulouse
  • Archdiocese of Toulouse — Became a metropolitan see in 1317. Out of which:
    • Diocese of Lavaur — Created 1317
    • Diocese of Lombez — Created 1317
    • Diocese of Montauban — Created 1317
    • Diocese of Pamiers — Created 1295, out of which:
      • Diocese of Mirepoix — Created 1317
      • Diocese of Rieux — Created 1317
    • Diocese of Saint-Papoul — Created 1317

[edit] Province of Reims (Belgica Secunda)

out of which (1559):

[edit] Province of Cambrai

[edit] Province of Mechelen/Malines
  • Province and diocese of Mechelen created in 1559.
    • (Diocese of Ypres) — Created 1559.
  • other dioceses in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands, created in 1559.

[edit] Province of Pisa

(Province created out of the Province of Rome in 1092: central and Southern Corsican sees belonged to this province)

[edit] Province of Rouen (Lugdunensis Secunda)

[edit] Province of Tours (Lugdunensis Tertia)

Some dioceses of this province were part, in the 9th and 10th centuries, of an autonomous but

[edit] Short-lived Province of Dol
  • Diocese of Dol — Created 6th century, was an autonomous archbishopric for about 1 1/2 centuries after the mid 9th century.
  • Diocese of Quimper — Created 6th century.
  • Diocese of Rennes — Out of which a short-lived diocese of Redon in the 15th century.
  • Diocese of Saint-Brieuc — Created 6th century.
  • Diocese of Saint-Malo — Moved to Saint-Malo in the 12th century (former see was in Alet).
  • Diocese of Saint-Pol-de-Léon — Created 6th century.
  • Diocese of Tréguier — Created 6th century.
  • Diocese of Vannes

[edit] Province of Sens (Lugdunensis Quarta)

out of which (1622):

[edit] Province of Paris

[edit] Province of Tarentaise (Alpes Grææ et Pœninæ)

  • (Archdiocese of Tarentaise) — Its see was in Moûtiers-en-Tarentaise.
  • other sees in present-day Italy (Aosta) and Switzerland (Sion).

[edit] Province of Trier (Belgica Prima)

[edit] Province of Vienne (Viennensis Prima)

  • Archdiocese of Vienne
  • Diocese of Die
  • (Diocese of Geneva) — In the 16th century, following the Reformation, the see was moved to Annecy but kept its name.
  • Diocese of Grenoble
  • (Diocese of Maurienne
  • Diocese of Valence
  • Diocese of Viviers