The Archdiocese of Turin () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in Italy.
The diocese of Turin was founded in the 4th century and elevated to the dignity of an archdiocese on 21 May 1515 by Pope Leo X. As a metropolitan archdiocese, it has as suffragan dioceses: Acqui, Alba, Aosta, Asti, Cuneo, Fossano, Ivrea, Mondovì, Pinerolo, Saluzzo and Susa. Its mother church is the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.
History
The earliest bishop of Turin whose name has survived was St Maximus. Fedele Savio argues that Maximus was the first bishop of Turin. Maximus, many of whose homilies are extant, died between 408 and 423.
Bishop Ursicinus (569-609) underwent captivity and loss of his property at the hands of the Franks. Pope Gregory I complained to Bishop Syagrius of Autun that someone else was made bishop in place of Ursicinus, in violation of canon law, and Ursicinus' diocese was taken away from him. It has been inferred that the Diocese of Moriana (Maurienne) was detached from that of Turin on this occasion.
Duke Garibold of Turin, who had assassinated the Lombard King Godebert in 662, was murdered in an act of revenge, in the Baptistry of S. Giovanni il Battisto in the Cathedral of Turin.
Other bishops were: Claudius of Turin (817-27), a copious and controversial writer, famous for his opposition to the veneration of images; Regimirus (of uncertain date, in the 9th century), who established a rule of common life among his canons; Amulo (880-98), who incurred the ill-will of the Turinese and was driven out by them; Gezo (1000), who founded the monastery of San Solutore in Turin; Landulf (1037), who founded the Abbey of Cavour and repaired the damage inflicted on his Church by the Saracen incursions; Cunibert of Turin (1046–1080), to whom St Peter Damian wrote a letter (Epistolae IV.iii) exhorting him to repress the laxity of his clergy in matters of clerical celibacy; Boso (1122–c.1127), who resigned as a cardinal to become bishop.
In 1074 Bishop Cunibert of Turin (1046–1080) was summoned by Pope Gregory VII to attend a synod which was announced for 30 November in that year. One of the matters to be treated was the controversy between Cunibert and Abbot Benedict of S. Michele di Chiusa. The Bishop claimed that the monastery was situated on allodial property of the diocese, and therefore the bishop had the right to install the abbot and collect the decima tax. On 12 December 1074, the Pope wrote again, in considerable anger, because Cunibert had refused to attend the synod (venire contempsit); the Pope further advised Cunibert that another synod was going to be held toward the end of February 1075, which he was warned he must attend, and in the meantime he was to stop disturbing the monastery. When the synod took place, Cunibert was suspended from office, and in a letter of 9 April 1075 Pope Gregory again chastised him for breaking his promise and continuing to harass the monks of S. Michele. Cunibert was given until 11 November, the next synod meeting day, to reach a peaceable settlement with Abbot Benedict, or else to put in an appearance at the synod, where his case would be given final judgement. The case dragged on, however, and on 24 November 1078, after Bishop Cunibert finally appeared at the Papal Court, the Pope gave final judgement, requiring Cunibert to return whatever he had taken from the monks, and the monks likewise, under the supervision of the Bishops of Asti and Aqui and the Abbot of Fruttuaria. If the Bishop still wished to assert that the monastery had been built on land belonging to the diocese and was under his jurisdiction, he should come to the next synod and present his proofs; otherwise, he should hold his peace.
Two episcopal 'elections'
In 1243, Bishop Hugo (Uguccione) de Cagnola (1231–1243) abdicated the bishopric of Turin and became a Cistercian. Before he retired to a monastery (the house of the Cistercians in Genoa) though, he was required to administer his diocese until a successor was elected. On 15 November 1243, Pope Innocent IV ordered Bishop Hugo to see to the election of the Pope's Chamberlain, Nicholas, Provost of Genoa as the next Bishop of Turin. On 10 May 1244, Pope Innocent ordered the Papal Legate Gregorio de Montelongo, Papal Subdeacon and Notary, to see to the election of the Abbot of San Gennaro near Trino in the diocese of Vercelli, Giovanni Arborio, as the next bishop of Turin.