Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Portugal

See a list of abbreviations used in this list. See also our listing of current ecclesial jurisdictions.

0040-0100: Toledo - Spain
0300-0400: Toledo (Metr.) - Spain
1225: Fez (established from Toledo) - Morocco
300~: Ebora / Évora - Portugal
306: Ossonoba - Portugal
300-350: Olisipo / Lisboa - Portugal
300-400: Aquae Flaviae / Chaves - Portugal
350-390: Bracara / Braga - Portugal
440-461: Bracara / Braga (Metr.) - Portugal
500-563: Conimbriga / Aeminium / Coimbra (detached from Olisipo) - Portugal
500-600: (Pax Iulia / Paca / Beja (legendary, somewhat doubtful; probably detached from Ebora if it existed) - Portugal)
550-572: Egitania / Idanha - Portugal
550-572: Veseo / Viseu (detached from Olisipo) - Portugal
550-588: Portucale / Porto / Oporto (detached from Bracara) - Portugal
569-572: Lamecum / Lamego (detached from Olisipo) - Portugal
688 and 711-718
Arab conquest of Portugal took place between 711 and 718: All dioceses were then abandoned. (Ossonoba in the south had fallen already in 688). Sometimes bishops were appointed to these dioceses but remained in the court of Asturian or Leonese kings, rendering them, in a sense, to bishops "in partibus infidelis".
688: Ossonoba (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
711-718: Aquae Flaviae / Chaves (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
711-718: Braga (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
711-718: (Pax Iulia / Paca / Beja (abandoned, uncertain if the diocese ever existed) - Portugal)
711-718: Porto / Oporto (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
711-718: Viseu (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
712: Coimbra (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
714: Ebora / Évora (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
714: Lamego (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
715: Egitania / Idanha (abandoned during Arab Muslim conquest, see destroyed) - Portugal
716: Olisipo / Lisboa (abandoned due to Arab Muslim conquest) - Portugal
832: Braga (although still in Muslim hands, formally incorporated in Lugo [in today's Spain]) - Portugal
872: Porto / Oporto (restored during brief Christian reconquest) - Portugal
920~?: Porto / Oporto (abandoned after Muslim reconquest) - Portugal
1071: Braga (Metr., restored, detached from Lugo [in today's Spain], Braga now also incorporating the territory of the old diocese of Aquae Flaviae / Chaves) - Portugal
1080: Coimbra (restored) - Portugal
1112: Oporto (restored) - Portugal
1147: Lamego (restored) - Portugal
1147: Lisboa (restored) - Portugal
1147: Viseu (restored) - Portugal
1165: Évora (restored) - Portugal
1203 (or 1199): Guarda (restored, new name and new location of see, previously Egitania / Idanha ) - Portugal
1250~: Guarda (new name, see transferred from Idanha) - Portugal
1253: Silves / Sylves (restored, new name and new location of see, previously Ossonoba) - Portugal
1394: Lisboa (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Santiago de Compostela) - Portugal
1418: Ceuta - (detached from Marrakesh) - (Portuguese Morocco) Spain
1487~: Safim (detached from Marrakesh before 1487) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
1459: Tanger / Tangier (detached from Ceuta, and from Marrakesh) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
1514: Funchal (established by the Portuguese, see footnote) - Portugal
1533: Funchal (Metr.) - Portugal
1534: Angra (detached from Funchal) - Portugal
1540: Évora (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Lisboa) - Portugal
1542: Safim (incorporated in Tanger) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
1545: Leiria (detached from Coimbra) - Portugal
1545: Miranda (detached from Braga) - Portugal
1550: Portalegre (detached from Évora, and from Guarda) - Portugal
1551: Funchal (D) - Portugal
1570: Elvas (detached from Évora) - Portugal
1570: Tanger (suppressed) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
1577: Faro (new name, see moved, previously Silves) - Portugal
1645: Ceuta (vacant) - Spain (for further history: see Spain)
1716: Lisboa (Patr.) - Portugal
1716: Western Lisboa (Patr.) - Portugal
1716: Eastern Lisboa (Metr.) - Portugal
1740: Eastern Lisboa (suppressed, incorporated in Lisboa) - Portugal
1740: Lisboa (Patr., new name, previously Western Lisboa) - Portugal
1770: Beja (reestablished, detached from Évora) - Portugal
1770: Bragança (detached from Miranda) - Portugal
1770: Penafiel - Portugal
1770: Pinhel (detached from Lamego) - Portugal
1774: Aveiro (detached from Coimbra) - Portugal
1778: Penafiel (suppressed) - Portugal
1780: Bragança e Miranda (united) - Portugal
1829: Elvas (vacant, de facto suppressed) - Portugal
1831: Castelo Branco (vacant, de facto suppressed) - Portugal
1833: Portalegre (vacant) - Portugal
1837: Aveiro (vacant, de facto suppressed) - Portugal
1838: Pinhel (vacant, de facto suppressed) - Portugal
1873: Leiria (vacant, de facto suppressed) - Portugal
1881: Aveiro (formally suppressed) - Portugal
1881: Castelo Branco (formally suppressed, incorporated in Portalegre) - Portugal
1881: Elvas (formally suppressed, incorporated in Évora) - Portugal
1881: Leiria (formally suppressed, incorporated in Coimbra) - Portugal
1881: Pinhel (formally suppressed, incorporated in Guarda) - Portugal
1918: Leiria (reestablished, detached from Coimbra) - Portugal
1922: Vila Real (detached from Braga, from Bragança e Miranda, and from Lamego) - Portugal
1938: Aveiro (reestablished, detached from Coimbra, from Porto, and from Viseu) - Portugal
1956: Portalegre-Castelo Branco (new name, previously Portalegre) - Portugal
1966, 2001: Portugal (Mil.Ord.) - Portugal
1975: Santarém (detached from Lisboa) - Portugal
1975: Setúbal - (detached from Lisboa) - Portugal
1977: Viana do Castelo (detached from Braga) - Portugal
1984: Leiria-Fátima (new name, previously Leiria) - Portugal