Archdiocese of Lecce

Historical Details

• Diocese of Lecce
  • Latin Name: Lyciensis
  • Erected: 1057
  • Immediately Subject to the Holy See
  • Country: Italy

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Tommaso Morganti † ( 1409 Appointed - 1419 Died)
• Curello Ciccaro † (19 Dec 1419 Appointed - 1429 Died)
• Tommaso Ammirato, O.S.B. † (2 Mar 1429 Appointed - 1438 Died)
• Guido Giudano, O.F.M. † (6 Aug 1438 Appointed - 1453 Appointed, Archbishop of Bari (-Canosa))
• Antonio Ricci † (20 Jul 1453 Appointed - 24 Dec 1483 Died)
• Roberto Caracciolo, O.F.M. † (8 Mar 1484 Appointed - 18 Jul 1485 Appointed, Bishop of Aquino)
• Antonio de’ Tolomei † (18 Jul 1485 Appointed - 1498 Died)
• Luigi d’Aragona † (10 Dec 1498 Appointed - 24 Mar 1502 Resigned)
• Giacomo Piscicelli † (24 Mar 1502 Appointed - 1507 Died)
• Pietro Matteo d’Aquino † (12 Feb 1508 Appointed - 1511 Died)
• Ugolino Martelli † (9 Apr 1511 Appointed - 18 May 1517 Appointed, Bishop of Narni)
• Giovanni Antonio Acquaviva d’Aragona † (18 May 1517 Appointed - 1525 Died)
• Consalvo di Sangro † (19 Jan 1525 Appointed - 1530 Died)
• Alfonso de’ Sangro † (9 Mar 1530 Appointed - 20 Apr 1534 Resigned)
• Ippolito de’ Medici † (20 Apr 1534 Appointed - 26 Feb 1535 Resigned)
• Giovanni Battista Castromediano † (26 Feb 1535 Appointed - 1552 Died)
• Braccio Martelli † (12 Feb 1552 Appointed - 17 Aug 1560 Died)
• Annibale Saraceni † (29 Nov 1560 Appointed - 1591 Resigned)
• Scipione Spina † (10 May 1591 Appointed - 6 Mar 1639 Died)
• Luigi Pappacoda † (30 May 1639 Appointed - 17 Dec 1670 Died)
• Antonio Pignatelli del Rastrello † (4 May 1671 Appointed - 12 Jan 1682 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Faenza)
• Michele Pignatelli, C.R. † (26 Jan 1682 Appointed - 10 Nov 1695 Died)
• Fabrizio Pignatelli † (2 Apr 1696 Appointed - 12 May 1734 Died)
• Giuseppe Maria Ruffo † (25 May 1735 Appointed - 3 Feb 1744 Appointed, Archbishop of Capua)
• Scipione Sersale † (3 Feb 1744 Appointed - 11 Jul 1751 Died)
• Alfonso Sozy Carafa, C.R.S. † (15 Nov 1751 Appointed - 19 Feb 1783 Died)
• Salvatore Spinelli, O.S.B. † (26 Mar 1792 Appointed - 18 Dec 1796 Appointed, Archbishop of Salerno)
• Nicola Caputo de’ Marchesi di Cerreto † (21 Dec 1818 Confirmed - 6 Nov 1862 Died)
• Valerio Laspro † (6 May 1872 Appointed - 20 Mar 1877 Appointed, Archbishop of Salerno (-Acerno))
• Salvatore Luigi Zola, C.R.L. † (22 Jun 1877 Appointed - 27 Apr 1898 Died)
• Evangelista (Michael Antonio) di Milia, O.F.M. Cap. † (10 Nov 1898 Appointed - 17 Sep 1901 Died)
• Gennaro Trama † (14 Feb 1902 Appointed - 9 Nov 1927 Died)
• Alberto Costa † (7 Dec 1928 Appointed - 2 Aug 1950 Died)
• Francesco Minerva † (17 Dec 1950 Appointed - 27 Jan 1981 Retired)
• Michele Mincuzzi † (27 Jan 1981 Appointed - 7 Dec 1988 Retired)
• Cosmo Francesco Ruppi † (7 Dec 1988 Appointed - 16 Apr 2009 Retired)
• Domenico Umberto D’Ambrosio (16 Apr 2009 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Lecce
1950	163,000	164,000	99.4%	180	90	270	603		170	580	39	ap1951
1970	225,274	225,324	100.0%	155	65	220	1,023		83	560	52	ap1971
Archdiocese of Lecce
1980	247,096	247,177	100.0%	142	71	213	1,160		99	519	65	ap1981
1990	265,376	269,708	98.4%	148	66	214	1,240	3	86	427	74	ap1991
1999	255,000	257,804	98.9%	151	55	206	1,237	25	78	393	76	ap2000
2000	266,000	268,580	99.0%	151	54	205	1,297	27	67	358	76	ap2001
2001	265,000	267,224	99.2%	152	60	212	1,250	30	76	324	76	ap2002
2002	274,770	276,979	99.2%	153	60	213	1,290	30	75	324	76	ap2003
2003	250,123	252,923	98.9%	148	60	208	1,202	31	75	324	76	ap2004
2004	258,225	260,988	98.9%	140	60	200	1,291	31	74	334	76	ap2005

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Domenico Umberto D’Ambrosio (Archbishop: 16 Apr 2009)
• Salvatore De Giorgi (Priest: 28 Jun 1953 to 21 Nov 1973)
• Marcello Semeraro (Priest: 8 Sep 1971 to 25 Jul 1998)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Giovanni Antonio Acquaviva d’Aragona † (Bishop: 18 May 1517 to 1525)
• Tommaso Ammirato, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 2 Mar 1429 to 1438)
• Nicola Caputo de’ Marchesi di Cerreto † (Bishop: 21 Dec 1818 to 6 Nov 1862)
• Roberto Caracciolo, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 8 Mar 1484 to 18 Jul 1485)
• Giuseppe Carata † (Priest: 30 Jan 1938 to 17 May 1965)
• Giovanni Battista Castromediano † (Bishop: 26 Feb 1535 to 1552)
• Curello Ciccaro † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1419 to 1429)
• Alberto Costa † (Bishop: 7 Dec 1928 to 2 Aug 1950)
• Pietro Matteo d’Aquino † (Bishop: 12 Feb 1508 to 1511)
• Luigi d’Aragona † (Administrator: 10 Dec 1498 to 24 Mar 1502)
• Ippolito de’ Medici † (Administrator: 20 Apr 1534 to 26 Feb 1535)
• Evangelista (Michael Antonio) di Milia, O.F.M. Cap. † (Bishop: 10 Nov 1898 to 17 Sep 1901)
• Giovanni Gigante † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Feb 1898 to 15 Oct 1908)
• Guido Giudano, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 6 Aug 1438 to 1453)
• Valerio Laspro † (Bishop: 6 May 1872 to 20 Mar 1877)
• Braccio Martelli † (Bishop: 12 Feb 1552 to 17 Aug 1560)
• Ugolino Martelli † (Bishop: 9 Apr 1511 to 18 May 1517)
• Michele Mincuzzi † (Archbishop: 27 Jan 1981 to 7 Dec 1988)
• Francesco Minerva † (Bishop: 17 Dec 1950; Archbishop: 20 Oct 1980 to 27 Jan 1981)
• Tommaso Morganti † (Bishop: 1409 to 1419)
• Luigi Pappacoda † (Bishop: 30 May 1639 to 17 Dec 1670)
• Fabrizio Pignatelli † (Bishop: 2 Apr 1696 to 12 May 1734)
• Michele Pignatelli, C.R. † (Bishop: 26 Jan 1682 to 10 Nov 1695)
• Antonio Pignatelli del Rastrello † (Archbishop (Personal Title): 4 May 1671 to 12 Jan 1682)
• Giacomo Piscicelli † (Bishop: 24 Mar 1502 to 1507)
• Antonio Ricci † (Bishop: 20 Jul 1453 to 24 Dec 1483)
• Giuseppe Maria Ruffo † (Bishop: 25 May 1735 to 3 Feb 1744)
• Cosmo Francesco Ruppi † (Archbishop: 7 Dec 1988 to 16 Apr 2009)
• Alfonso de’ Sangro † (Bishop: 9 Mar 1530 to 20 Apr 1534)
• Consalvo di Sangro † (Bishop: 19 Jan 1525 to 1530)
• Annibale Saraceni † (Bishop: 29 Nov 1560 to 1591)
• Scipione Sersale † (Bishop: 3 Feb 1744 to 11 Jul 1751)
• Giuseppe Signore † (Priest: 10 Aug 1894 to 20 Jun 1918)
• Alfonso Sozy Carafa, C.R.S. † (Bishop: 15 Nov 1751 to 19 Feb 1783)
• Scipione Spina † (Bishop: 10 May 1591 to 6 Mar 1639)
• Salvatore Spinelli, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 26 Mar 1792 to 18 Dec 1796)
• Antonio de’ Tolomei † (Bishop: 18 Jul 1485 to 1498)
• Gennaro Trama † (Bishop: 14 Feb 1902 to 9 Nov 1927)
• Salvatore Luigi Zola, C.R.L. † (Bishop: 22 Jun 1877 to 27 Apr 1898)