Roman Catholic Diocese of San Miniato
The Italian Catholic Diocese of San Miniato () is in Tuscany. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Florence. History. In 1248 San Genesio was completely destroyed. In 1397 the town was taken by Florence, and was placed under the control of a vicar appointed by the government of Florence. From 21 January 1529 to November 1530 San Miniato was attacked and besieged by Spanish forces. More than 300 inhabitants were killed. From 1248 the Chapter of the collegiate church of San Genesio was transferred to San Miniato, and in 1527 the head of  the Chapter was granted the privilege of wearing pontifical vestments, the mitre, and the use of the pastoral staff, inside the territory of San Miniato. In 1408 the Republic of Florence wished to have it made an episcopal see, being then a territory in the archdiocese of Lucca, but the effort failed. The situation changed when Maria Maddelena of Austria, the wife of Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany took up residence in S. Miniato, and made herself its patron. She successfully put pressure on Pope Gregory XV. On 5 December 1622 the town ("oppidum") of San Miniato was raised to  the dignity of a city ("civitas"), and was named the seat of a bishop by Pope Gregory XV. The church of S. Maria and S. Genesius was elevated to the status of a cathedral. The cathedral Chapter was to consist of two dignities (the Provost and the Archpriest) and twelve Canons. In 1755, there was only one dignity, and fourteen Canons. The first bishop was Franceseo Nori (1624). Diocesan synods. A diocesan synod was an irregularly held, but important, meeting of the bishop of a diocese and his clergy. Its purpose was (1) to proclaim generally the various decrees already  issued by the bishop; (2) to discuss and ratify measures on which the bishop chose to consult with his clergy; (3) to publish statutes and decrees of the diocesan synod, of the provincial synod, and of the Holy See. Bishop Alessandro Strozzi (1632–1648) held a diocesan synod on 1 December 1638. On 19 June 1685, Bishop Michele Carlo Cortigiani (1683–1703) held a diocesan synod; he held another on 3 October 1690; and another on 15 September 1699. Bishop Giovanni Francesco Maria Poggi, O.S.M. (1703–1719) held a diocesan synod on 21–22 May 1707. Bishop Torello Romolo Pierazzi (1834–1851) held a diocesan  synod in 1843.