(RUBENSIS ET BITUNTINENSIS)

Diocese in the Province of Bari, Aquileia, Southern Italy. Ruvo, the ancient Rubi, situated on a calcareous hill, contains a fine Norman cathedral of the eleventh century. Outside of the city are the ruins of a more ancient cathedral, possibly of the late fourth or early fifth century. According to a legend St. Peter preached the Faith here and appointed to the see as its first bishop St. Cletus, later pope. We read also of a St. Procopius, Bishop of Ruvo, of unknown date ; Bishop Joannes, spoken of in 493, is the first prelate of the city known with certainty ; of the others mention may be made of Pietro Ruggieri (1759-1804); Bishop Anderano (about 734) belonged either to Bitonto or Bisignano; Arnolfo (1087), the first undoubted Bishop of Bitonto; Enrico Minutolo (1382), later cardinal ; Cornelio Musso (1544), a Conventual, distinguished at the Council of Trent ; Fabrizio Carafa (1622), founder of a literary academy; Alessandro Crescenti (1652), later cardinal. In 1818 the Diocese of Ruvo, which comprised only the commune of Ruvo, was united æque principaliter to the See of Bitonto, which included only the commune of Bitonto. It has a fine cathedral with four rows of beautiful marble columns. The chief historic events relating to the dioceses are the capture of Ruvo in 1503 by Gonsalvo di Cordova, who defeated the French, and the battle of Bitonto (1734) in which the Austrians were defeated by the Spaniards. The united dioceses contain 25,000 inhabitants, a Franciscan friary, 7 houses of religious, 3 of which are enclosed, 2 having hospitals attached, and 2 others charitable establishments.

The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.

Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.

No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.

Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912

Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online