title: List of Ancien Régime dioceses of France
text: French Ancien Régime Roman Catholic dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces were heirs of Late Roman civitates (themselves created out of Gaulish tribes) and provinces.
  
  Historical sketch
  Most of them were created during the first Christianization of Gaul, in the 3rd to 5th centuries.
  
  But, at several occasions during the Middle Ages or the Ancien Régime, new dioceses were created, replacing older ones or carved out of them. For instance, the Albigensian Crusade entailed the creation of many new dioceses in the early 14th century. All the same, in 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the ecclesiastical map of France still very much recalled that of Roman Gaul. This explains why many dioceses and provinces did not coincide with French borders, with their head cities lying in present-day Belgium, Germany or Switzerland.
  
  In 1790, this map was entirely revised to fit the new administrative map: dioceses were now to coincide with départements (the new administrative units). Ancien Régime dioceses all disappeared, then, in 1790. Many former bishoprics remained heads of the new dioceses, but many cities lost their bishop. Even so, in those cities, the former cathedral very often kept its rank as a cathedral church. This explains why many post-Revolutionary episcopal sees bear the name of several cities. For instance, in the département of the Drôme, only the city of Valence retained its bishop, the former episcopal sees of Die and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux being suppressed, but the bishop retained the title of bishop of Valence, Die and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux.
  
  Here follows a list of Ancien Régime dioceses, as of 1789, on the eve of the Revolution. With the exception of those dioceses which were created in the Late Roman period (before the 6th century), whose date of creation generally cannot be established, we provide the date of creation and, when appropriated of suppression of the bishopric. Dioceses whose sees were not within the borders of the kingdom of France are in brackets.
  
  Listing of dioceses by church province
  
  Province of Aix (Narbonensis Secunda) 
  Archdiocese of Aix
  Diocese of Apt
  Diocese of Fréjus
  Diocese of Gap
  Diocese of Riez
  Diocese of Sisteron
  
  Province of Arles (Viennensis Secunda) 
  Archdiocese of Arles
  Diocese of Marseille
  Diocese of Orange
  Diocese of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux
  Diocese of Toulon
  
  out of which (1475):
  
  Province of Avignon 
  
  Archdiocese of Avignon — became a metropolitan see in 1475.
  Diocese of Carpentras
  Diocese of Cavaillon
  Diocese of Vaison
  
  Province of Auch (Novempopulania) 
  Archdiocese of Auch — became head of the province between 7th and 9th century, following the demise of the former metropolitan see of Eauze
  Diocese of Aire
  Diocese of Bazas
  Diocese of Dax, out of which:
  Diocese of Bayonne — created late 8th century.
  Diocese of Lectoure
  Diocese of Lescar
  Diocese of Oloron
  Diocese of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
  Diocese of Saint-Lizier
  Diocese of Tarbes
  
  Province of Besançon (Maxima Sequanorum) 
  Archdiocese of Besançon
  Diocese of Basel
  Diocese of Belley — moved to Belley in 537 (former see in Nyon).
  Diocese of Lausanne
  
  Province of Bordeaux (Aquitania Secunda) 
  Archdiocese of Bordeaux
  Diocese of Agen, out of which:
  Diocese of Condom — Created 1317.
  Diocese of Angoulême
  Diocese of Périgueux, out of which:
  Diocese of Sarlat — Created 1317.
  Diocese of Poitiers, out of which:
  Diocese of Luçon — Created 1317.
  Diocese of La Rochelle — Created in 1317 with its see in Maillezais. Was moved to La Rochelle in 1648.
  Diocese of Saintes
  
  Province of Bourges (Aquitania Prima) 
  Archdiocese of Bourges
  Diocese of Clermont, out of which:
  Diocese of Saint-Flour — Created 1317.
  Diocese of Limoges, out of which:
  Diocese of Tulle — Created 1317.
  Diocese of Le Puy
  
  out of which (1678):
  
  Province of Albi 
  
  Archdiocese of Albi — became a metropolitan see in 1678. Out of which:
  Diocese of Castres — created 1317.
  Diocese of Cahors
  Diocese of Mende — moved to Mende in the 6th century (former see was in Javols).
  Diocese of Rodez, out of which:
  Diocese of Vabres — created 1317.
  
  Province of Embrun (Alpes Maritimæ) 
  Archdiocese of Embrun
  Diocese of Digne
  Diocese of Entrevaux — Actually in the hamlet of Glandèves.
  Diocese of Grasse — Moved to Grasse in 1244 (former see in Antibes. Belonged to the province of Aix-en-Provence down to 1057.
  Diocese of Nice
  Diocese of Senez
  Diocese of Vence
  
  Province of Genoa 
  (Province created in 1133: Northern Corsican sees belonged to this province)
  Diocese of Mariana — The bishop resides in Bastia
  Diocese of Nebbio — The bishop resides in Saint-Florent
  
  Province of Lyon (Lugdunensis Prima) 
  Archdiocese of Lyon, out of which:
  Diocese of Saint-Claude — Created 1742.
  Diocese of Autun
  Diocese of Langres, out of which:
  Diocese of Dijon — Created 1731.
  Diocese of Chalon-sur-Saône
  Diocese of Mâcon
  
  Province of Mainz (Germania Prima) 
  Diocese of Speyer
  Diocese of Strasbourg
  other dioceses wholly in Germany
  
  Province of Narbonne (Narbonensis Prima) 
  Archdiocese of Narbonne, out of which:
  Diocese of Alet — Created 1317.
  Diocese of Carcassonne — Created late 6th century.
  Diocese of Montpellier — Created late 6th century. Moved to Montpellier in 1536 (former see in Maguelonne).
  Diocese of Perpignan — Created late 6th century. Moved to Perpignan in 1602 (former see in Elne).
  Diocese of Saint-Pons — Created 1317.
  Diocese of Agde
  Diocese of Béziers
  Diocese of Lodève
  Diocese of Nîmes, out of which:
  Diocese of Alès — Created 1694
  Diocese of Uzès
  
  out of which (1317):
  
  Province of Toulouse 
  
  Archdiocese of Toulouse — Became a metropolitan see in 1317. Out of which:
  Diocese of Lavaur — Created 1317
  Diocese of Lombez — Created 1317
  Diocese of Montauban — Created 1317
  Diocese of Pamiers — Created 1295, out of which:
  Diocese of Mirepoix — Created 1317
  Diocese of Rieux — Created 1317
  Diocese of Saint-Papoul — Created 1317
  
  Province of Reims (Belgica Secunda) 
  Archdiocese of Reims, out of which
  Diocese of Laon — Created late 5th century.
  Diocese of Amiens
  Diocese of Beauvais
  Diocese of Châlons-en-Champagne
  Diocese of Senlis
  Diocese of Soissons
  Diocese of Noyon
  Diocese of Thérouanne — Suppressed 1553, out of which:
  Diocese of Boulogne — Created 1567.
  Diocese of Saint-Omer — Created 1559.
  
  out of which (1559):
  
  Province of Cambrai 
  
  Archdiocese of Cambrai — Became a metropolitan see in 1559.
  Diocese of Arras
  Diocese of Tournai
  other dioceses in present-day Belgium, created in 1559.
  
  Province of Mechelen/Malines 
  
  Province and diocese of Mechelen created in 1559.
  Diocese of Ypres — Created 1559.
  other dioceses in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands, created in 1559.
  
  Province of Pisa 
  (Province created out of the Province of Rome in 1092: central and Southern Corsican sees belonged to this province)
  Diocese of Ajaccio
  Diocese of Aléria — The bishop resides in Cervione
  Diocese of Sagone — The bishop resides in Vico
  
  Province of Rouen (Lugdunensis Secunda) 
  Archdiocese of Rouen
  Diocese of Avranches
  Diocese of Bayeux
  Diocese of Coutances
  Diocese of Évreux
  Diocese of Lisieux
  Diocese of Sées
  
  Province of Tours (Lugdunensis Tertia) 
  Archdiocese of Tours
  Diocese of Angers
  Diocese of Le Mans
  Diocese of Nantes
  
  Some dioceses of this province were part, in the 9th and 10th centuries, of an autonomous but
  
  Short-lived Province of Dol 
  
  Diocese of Dol — Created 6th century, was an autonomous archbishopric for about 1½ centuries after the mid 9th century.
  Diocese of Quimper — Created 6th century.
  Diocese of Rennes — Out of which a short-lived diocese of Redon in the 15th century.
  Diocese of Saint-Brieuc — Created 6th century.
  Diocese of Saint-Malo — Moved to Saint-Malo in the 12th century (former see was in Alet).
  Diocese of Saint-Pol-de-Léon — Created 6th century.
  Diocese of Tréguier — Created 6th century.
  Diocese of Vannes
  
  Province of Sens (Lugdunensis Quarta) 
  Archdiocese of Sens
  Diocese of Auxerre
  Diocese of Nevers
  Diocese of Troyes
  
  out of which (1622):
  
  Province of Paris 
  
  Archdiocese of Paris — Became a metropolitan see in 1622.
  Diocese of Chartres, out of which:
  Diocese of Blois — Created 1697.
  Diocese of Meaux
  Diocese of Orléans
  
  Province of Tarentaise (Alpes Graiæ et Pœninæ) 
  Archdiocese of Tarentaise — Its see was in Moûtiers.
  other sees in present-day Italy (diocese of Aosta) and Switzerland (diocese of Sion).
  
  Province of Trier (Belgica Prima) 
  (Archdiocese of Trier)
  Diocese of Metz
  Diocese of Toul, out of which:
  Diocese of Nancy — Created 1777.
  Diocese of Saint-Dié — Created 1777.
  Diocese of Verdun
  
  Province of Vienne (Viennensis Prima) 
  Archdiocese of Vienne
  Diocese of Die
  Diocese of Geneva — In the 16th century, following the Reformation, the see was moved to Annecy but kept its name.
  Diocese of Grenoble
  Diocese of Maurienne
  Diocese of Valence
  Diocese of Viviers
  
  External links 
   Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilization (layers Medieval Bishoprics and French dioceses ca. 1000)
  
  Dioceses, Ancien Régime
  History of Catholicism in France