Frigento

Frigento

The diocese of Frigento dates back to the 9th century. The Vatican records for the year 817 refer to a "G. Episcopus Frequentinus" (G., Bishop of Frigento). Its origins may, however, be older, linked to the diocese of Aeclanum and to Bishop Marcianus, who lived in the 5th century. The history of the diocese in the early Middle Ages is hard to reconstruct. After the Lombard conquest of Benevento, the see of Aeclanum was moved to Quintodecimo, where it remained until 1057. In 1058 the bishop's seat was probably transferred to Frigento. The official acts of the Council of Benevento of 1059 list the bishop of Frigento among those present, and so do those of the later councils of 1061, 1075 and 1082, which no longer mention a bishop of Quintodecimo. The reason for the move lies in the political events of the time: during the conflict of 1053 between the papacy and the Normans, Frigento must have been considered a safer location.

In 1466, by a bull of Pope Paul II, the diocese of Frigento was united with that of Avellino; it was suppressed in 1818 by the papal bull De utiliori, issued by Pope Pius VII on 27 June of that year.

Particularly striking in this section are the powerful expressiveness of the full-length wooden statue of St Francis of Paola, the small canvas of the Virgin as the "Divine Shepherdess", and the fine oil painting on panel of the martyr St Antoninus of Apamea.