Mesarfelta
Mesarfelta was a Roman-Berber town in the province of Numidia. It was also a bishopric that is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[1]
History
The historic Mesarfelta is believed to be what are now the ruins of El-Outaïa or those of Tolga, Henchir-El-Ksar,[1] or may be Qastilya in Algeria[2] (according to "Three North-African Topographical Notes (Islamic-Roman)").
The city is believed to have been constructed as a fortification by the Romans (with annexed "vicus"), in the second half of the first century near the Aures Mountains. It had an amphitheater during Hadrians reign.[3]
A barrier called Fossatum Africae, which marked the frontier between the territory of the Roman Empire and other lands, ran through Mesarfelta.[4]
The city disappeared after the Muslim conquest in the second half of the seventh century.
Bishopric
The city of Mesarfelta was the seat of an ancient bishopric[5] There are two Mesarfelta bishops historically remembered both in the Carthago Conference of 411AD.
Ancient bishops
Titular bishops of Mesarfelta[6]
- William Edward McManus 1967-1976
- Louis-Albert Vachon 1977-1981
- Basile Tapsoba 1981-1984
- Joseph Paul Pierre Morissette 1987-1990
- Michael Angelo Saltarelli[7] 1990-1995
- Antonio Menegazzo, M.C.C.I. 1995-
See also
References
- 1 2 Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 929
- ↑ "Three North-African Topographical Notes (Islamic-Roman)". Arabica. 1 (3): 343–345. September 1954. JSTOR 4054839.
- ↑ Mesarfelta amphitheater
- ↑ Wacher, J. S. (2002). The Roman world. Routledge. p. 872. ISBN 0-415-26314-X.
- ↑ Joseph Bingham, Origines Ecclesiasticae; Or the Antiquities of the Christian Church and Other Works: In Nine Volumes, Volume 3 p236.
- ↑ "Mesarfelta (Titular See)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. October 12, 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ↑ Gabriele, Michael C. (October 14, 2009). "Bishop Saltarelli, 77; Son of Archdiocese". The Catholic Advocate. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
Bibliography
- J. Baradez (1949). Gemellae. Un camp d’Hadrien et une ville aux confins sahariens aujourd’hui ensevelis sous les sables. Revue Africaine v. 93 p. 1-24.
- P. Trousset (2002). Les limites sud de la réoccupation Byzantine. Antiquité Tardive v. 10, p. 143-150.
%2C_Algeria_04966r.jpg)