Only a few Roman ruins, dating from the 1st century AD, testified to an era when Castra Nova was once flourishing. Successively the city was reduced to nothing by the invasions of the Vandals and later of the Arabs.
These ruins were the remains of the ancient city "Castra Nova". Crossroads of roads coming from Albulae (Ain Temouchent) and Portus Magnus (Saint-Leu), it occupied, at the foot of the mountains of Tell and on the right bank of the Oued el Hammam river, a strategic place.
Probably Castra Nova reached a population of 5000 inhabitants under Septimius Severus, when enjoyed the best development. The actual remains of Castra Nova show the substructures of a wall, those of some houses and a large cistern. Near these ruins there was a Roman cemetery, in which were found two Christian inscriptions.
The diocese expired after the city was taken by Islamic armies at the end of the 7th century.
The city was re-founded by French colonists on the ruins of the Roman city and was renamed Perregaux. Today the city is known as Mohammadia
Titular see
The diocese of Castra Nova was nominally restored in 1933 as Latin titular bishopric of Castra nova (Latin) / Castra nova (Curiate Italian) / Castranovensis (Latin adjective).
It has had the following titular bishops, of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank 'with an archiepiscopal exception :
Frederick Hall, Mill Hill Missionaries (M.H.M.) (born England) (1963.12.02 – resigned 1976.07.27) as emeritate; previously Titular Bishop of Alba Maritima (1948.04.09 – 1953.03.25) as last Apostolic Vicar of Kisumu (Kenya, now Metropolitan) (1948.04.09 – 1953.03.25), promoted first Bishop of Kisumu (1953.03.25 – retired 1963.12.02); died 1988
James Joseph Daly (1977.02.28 – death 2013.10.14) as Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre (USA) (1977.02.28 – retired 1996.07.01) and on emeritate