Prince-bishop of Geneva
| Prince-Bishop of Geneva of Bishopric of Geneva | |
|---|---|
Flag of Geneva (15th century), showing both the imperial eagle and a key of St. Peter, reflecting its dual status as free city and Prince-Bishopric | |
| Residence | St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva |
| Appointer | Archbishop of Vienne (spiritual); Holy Roman Emperor / cathedral chapter (temporal) |
| Formation | 1154 (raised to prince-bishopric) |
| First holder | Saint Isaac (c. 400, as bishop; princely status from 1154) |
| Final holder | Pierre de La Baume (1522–1536) |
| Abolished | 1536 (Genevan Reformation) |
The Prince-Bishop of Geneva was the ecclesiastical and secular ruler of Geneva from the early Middle Ages until the Reformation. As a suffragan of the Archbishopric of Vienne, the bishop held spiritual authority, but from 1154 he also enjoyed the status of prince of the Holy Roman Empire, exercising temporal power in and around the city of Geneva. The prince-bishops often struggled to maintain their independence against the Counts of Geneva and later the House of Savoy, who sought to dominate the see by appointing relatives to the episcopal office.
By the late fifteenth century, the city’s communal institutions had largely curtailed episcopal authority, paving the way for Geneva’s eventual transformation into a free imperial city and a center of the Protestant Reformation. The original Diocese of Geneva keeps its name in the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg.