Diocese of Nicotera-Tropea
The former Italian Catholic diocese of Nicotera-Tropea, in Calabria, existed until 1986. In that year it was united into the diocese of Mileto, to form the diocese of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea. It was a suffragan diocese of the archbishopric of Reggio di Calabria.
History
Nicotera, the ancient Medama, is in the Province of Catanzaro; it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1783. Its first known bishop was Proculus, to whom, with others, a letter of pope Gregory the Great was written in 599. With the exception of Sergius (787), none of its bishops is known earlier than 1392. Under Bishop Charles Pinti, the city was pillaged by the Ottoman Turks.
In 1818, it was united on equal terms with the Diocese of Tropea, founded in the 7th century. In the town center at Tropea there is still a cathedral, restored after its destruction by the earthquake of 1783. Here the Greek Rite was formerly used. Only three bishops before the Norman conquest are known; the first, Joannes, is referred to the year 649; among its other prelates was Nicolò Acciapori (1410), an eminent statesman.
References
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Nicotera and Tropea". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.