Riccardo Fontana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Riccardo Giuseppe Fontana | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop-Bishop Emeritus of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro | |
 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Florence |
| Diocese | Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro |
| Appointed | 16 July 2009 |
| Installed | 13 September 2009 |
| Term ended | 15 September 2022 |
| Predecessor | Gualtiero Bassetti |
| Successor | Andrea Migliavacca |
| Other post | Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia (1995–2009) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 2 July 1972 by Paolo Ghizzoni |
| Consecration | 6 January 1996 by Pope John Paul II, Giovanni Battista Re and Jorge María Mejía |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 January 1947 Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy |
| Died | 9 February 2026 (aged 79) Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy |
| Motto | Non recuso laborem |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Riccardo Giuseppe Fontana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Riccardo Giuseppe Fontana (20 January 1947 – 9 February 2026) was an Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop-Bishop of the Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro from 2009 until his retirement in 2022. He previously served as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia from 1996 to 2009.[1]
Fontana was born on 20 January 1947 in Forte dei Marmi, in the Archdiocese of Pisa, Tuscany. He entered the diocesan seminary and was ordained a priest on 2 July 1972, marking the beginning of a long pastoral and ecclesial ministry.[2]
Episcopal ministry
On 16 December 1995, Pope John Paul II appointed Fontana as Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia. He received episcopal consecration on 6 January 1996 in St. Peter’s Basilica.[3]
On 16 July 2009, he was appointed Archbishop-Bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, succeeding Gualtiero Bassetti.[4] He was installed on 13 September 2009 and guided the diocese for thirteen years, emphasizing pastoral care, priestly vocations, and diocesan unity.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 15 September 2022 upon reaching the canonical age limit for diocesan bishops.[5]
