Mesarfelta

Mesarfelta was a town in the Roman province of Numidia and 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)").
Probably was built a fortification by the Romans, with annexed "vicus", in the second half of first century near the Aures mountains: it had an amphitheater during Hadrian reign.[3]
A barrier -called Fossatum Africae- marking the frontier between the territory of the Roman Empire and other lands ran through Mesarfelta.[4]
The city disappeared after the Arab conquest in the second half of the seventh century.
There are two Mesarfelta bishops historically remembered: in the Carthago Conference of 411 AD went bishop "Lucianus" and the Donatist "Bennatus".
Actual Titular bishops of Mesarfelta[5]
- William Edward McManus 1967-1976
- Louis-Albert Vachon 1977-1981
- Basile Tapsoba 1981-1984
- Joseph Paul Pierre Morissette 1987-1990
- Michael Angelo Saltarelli[6] 1990-1995
- Antonio Menegazzo, M.C.C.I. 1995-
See also
- Mauretania Caesariensis
- Caesarea
- Vescera
- Thamugadi
- Lambaesis
- Castellum Dimmidi
- Roman 'Coloniae' in Berber Africa
- Christian Berbers
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.
- ↑ "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.