Segni (, ) is an Italian town and ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' located in
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
. The city is situated on a hilltop in the
Lepini Mountains and overlooks the valley of the
Sacco River.
History
Early history
According to ancient Roman sources,
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh king of Rome, established a Roman colony at the town, then known as ''Signia''. Additional colonists were reportedly sent there in 495 BC.
The ancient architectural remains include a circuit of fortification walls built using
polygonal masonry. The walls incorporated a system of gates, including the ''Porta Saracena'' which is covered by a large
monolithic architrave. Atop the ancient
acropolis
An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...
of Segni sits the podium of the temple of
Juno Moneta, which now supports a
Medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
church of
Saint Peter
Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
(tenth century).
Later history
Segni was a refuge for various
pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
s with
Pope Eugene III erecting a
palace
A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
in the middle of the twelfth century. The
Counts of Marsi, hereditary enemies of the
Orsini, obtained Segni in the twelfth century. The family called de' Conti produced several popes (
Innocent III
Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216.
Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...
,
Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX (; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decretales'' and instituting the P ...
and
Alexander IV) and many cardinals. In 1558 Segni was sacked by the forces of the
Duke of Alba in the war against
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV (; ; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559), born Gian Pietro Carafa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death, in August 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed ...
; immense booty was captured, as the inhabitants of the other towns of the
Campagna had fled thither.
Main sights
* Co-cathedral of ''Santa Maria Assunta'', built in the early 17th century on the former temple of St. Bruno. The bell tower is from the 11th century. The interior has a painting by
Francesco Cozza.
* The polygonal masonry fortification walls of the settlement are well preserved.
* The former site of the Juno Moneta temple marks the ancient Segni acropolis. The acropolis has recently been the site of renewed fieldwork undertaken by the
British School at Rome
The British School at Rome (BSR) is a British interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture established in Rome. Historical and archaeological study are at the core of its activities.
History
The British Sc ...
.
[Segni Project http://www.bsr.ac.uk/research/archaeology/ongoing-projects/segni-project]
Twin towns
*
Mykines, Greece
References
Cities and towns in Lazio
Polygonal masonry
{{Lazio-geo-stub