[3] As a favor to his Datary, Baldassare Turini, who was a cleric and notary of the diocese of Lucca, and Lorenzo de Cecchis, who was a Doctor in utroque iure and parish priest of the church of S. Maria Maggiore in Pescia, Pope Leo X, in the bull "Sacri Apostolatus" of 15 April 1519, withdrew Pescia from the archdiocese of Lucca, raising it to the dignity of a prelacy nullius, and made it directly dependent upon the Holy See (Papacy).

The territory of the new prelacy was to include all the churches in the Val di Nievole and the Valle Ariana.

[5] Pope Leo X also granted to the provosts the right to use the vestments proper to a bishop, including mitre, staff, and cross, within the confines of their provostship.

[7] In a bull of 17 March 1726, Pescia was established as a diocese by Pope Benedict XIII, and made suffragan of (subordinate to) Pisa.

[8] Santa Maria Maggiore, dedicated to the taking up of the body of the Virgin Mary into heaven (Assumption), is referred to in documents as early as 991.