ThePatriarchate of Grado, also known as thePatriarchate of New Aquileia, was anepiscopal see andecclesiastical province in northeasternItaly, centered inGrado, on the northern coasts of theAdriatic Sea. It was created as a result of an internalschism within the ancientPatriarchate of Aquileia. In 568, after theLombard conquest ofAquileia, patriarchPaulinus left the city and fled to the minor coastal, but better protected town of Grado, that still remained under theByzantine rule. First patriarchs who resided in Grado continued to exercise their jurisdiction over bishops in Lombard-held parts of the province, but at the very beginning of the 7th century a schism occurred, when bishops in Lombard regions elected their separate patriarch (Ioannes), who took residence in the old Aquileia, thus becoming rival to Candidianus of Grado. From that time, the region was divided between two distinctive jurisdictions: thePatriarchate of Old Aquileia in Lombard-held lands, and thePatriarchate of New Aquileia, with residence in Grado and jurisdiction over Byzantine possessions in the northern Adriatic (includingVenice andIstria).[1][2]
Political division betweenByzantine andLombard possessions in northernAdriatic, at the time of the Aquileian schism (beginning of the 7th century)
Initially, the patriarchs in Grado continued to claim the title ofPatriarch of Aquileia, but in the early 700s it was gradually dropped and then officially changed toPatriarch of Grado. Throughout their history, the patriarchs of Grado, with the support of Venice and the Byzantines, fought military, politically, and ecclesiastically the patriarchs of old Aquileia, who were supported by the Lombards, and later theCarolingians and theHoly Roman Emperors.[3]
In 774, the entire Lombard Kingdom, including old Aquileia, fell under theFrankish rule, and by 788-790, Byzantine Istria also fell in Frankish hands, while Grado remained under Byzantine rule. Thus, a base was created for the emergence of various disputes over metropolitan jurisdiction in Istria. By the Franco-ByzantineTreaty of Aachen, that was concluded in 812, cities of Grado and Venice, with coastalDalmatia were left in Byzantine hands, while Istria was confirmed under the Frankish rule.[4]
The dispute between Grado and Aquileia was partially resolved in 1132 byPope Innocent II, who restored many of the traditional episcopal sees to Aquileia, including the dioceses of Istria, while confirming jurisdiction of Grado over theVenetian Lagoon, and extending it over the east-Adriatic island sees of Arbe, Veglia and Ossero.[3] Only in 1180, the remaining old-standing disputes between two patriarchates over jurisdiction in Istria were resolved by mutual agreement, in favor of old Aquileia.[5]
Adrian IV placed theArchdiocese of Zadar under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Grado, making it a true patriarchate with a metropolitan see under it, the only patriarchate of this kind in Western Europe besides Rome.[6] After 1349, the patriarch of Grado and his subordinates were chosen by the Venetian Senate, and the names merely sent to Rome for confirmation.[3]
In 1451, with the papal bullRegis aeterni,Nicholas V merged the see of Grado withCastello to form theArchdiocese of Venice. The Patriarch of Venice derived its patriarchal rank from Grado. Throughout its existence, the Patriarchate of Grado was tied to the rising and powerful city of Venice, which was in the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Grado, rather than to the small city of Grado.[7] The Patriarchs often resided in the church ofSan Silvestro in Venice where they were officially 'visitors', since canon law did not allow them to reside permanently in territory of another diocese (Venice was part of theDiocese of Castello).[7]
