Segni, Diocese of

SEGNI, DIOCESI di [DIOCESE of]. - City and diocese in the province of Rome, 58 km. from which, at 665 m. above sea level. It has an area of 250 sq km. with a popula-

(phot. Alinari)
SEGNI, DIOCESE OF. - Exterior of the church of S. Pietro, built in the 13th century on the middle cella of a Roman temple with three cellae, dedicated to the Capitoline Triad.

tion of 32,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, distributed in 14 parishes, served by 35 diocesan priests and 10 regulars; it has a seminary, 3 male religious communities and 11 female ones (Ann. Pont. 1952, p. 373). It is immediately subject to the Holy See. The patron of the diocese is St. Bruno.

It is the ancient Signia, in a strong strategic position, on the obligatory route for the Hernican peoples toward Rome. Ancient tradition, preserved by Livy, recalls it as a colony of Latin right. The Signini always remained faithful to Rome, even during the Hannibalic war. Under the name opus signinum is remembered a special waterproof plaster, formed with crushed potsherds joined with lime from local mountains. S. still preserves almost the entire circuit of its cyclopean walls, about 2 km. wider than the perimeter of the present-day city, which constitute an example of very strong defense of city and acropolis; and they are the most imposing in Latium: notable is the Porta Saracena, which presents the special characteristic of narrowing toward the top and of supporting five enormous monoliths. S., because of its position and its fortifications, was not much damaged in the period of the invasions; at the time of the Byzantine domination it was part of the Roman Duchy; in the early years of the 8th century it passed to the Church; then, in 1353, to the family of the Counts of S.; afterward, through marriage, it came to the Sforza, as a fief; it was elevated to a duchy in 1639; purchased later by the Barberini, it returned to the Sforza and finally to the Sforza-Cesarini. In 1557, during the war between Pope Paul IV and Philip II of Spain, it was sacked by the Spaniards of the duke of Alba, because the inhabitants of the neighboring towns had gathered there.

Christianity was preached in S. from the earliest centuries; the city was an episcopal see already in the 5th century. The first bishop of whom there is record is Santulus, who was present in Rome at the Council of Symmachus of 499; but on his behalf, being prevented, Fortunatus bishop of Anagni subscribed the decrees; there follows the bishop Justus, who subscribed the III Roman Synod of 501, the IV of 502, the VI of 504. In the history of the Church of S. the greatest importance belongs to St. Bruno of Solero (Alessandria [v.]). Lucius III, with the letter «Et ordo rationis expostulat» of 4 Nov. 1182, to bishop Peter (appointed by Alexander III, and present at the Lateran Council of 1179), assigns privileges and possessions to the Church of S. and determines exactly its boundaries; Clement III, under date of 19 Dec. 1188, again confirmed the ancient privileges, especially regarding the possession of Castella, Collis Medius, Mattelonicus, Gabilianus, Plumbinaria (the high Torre Plumbinaria still exists, belonging to an ancient castle, on the road to Paliano), Valmontonius. S. is the birthplace of Pope St. Vitalian (657-72); in the 12th-14th centuries it was often the residence of Popes; especially there dwelt: Eugene III, Alexander III, who in 1179 canonized there Thomas of Canterbury, Lucius III, Innocent III.

Of the sacred buildings, notable is the Cathedral (S. Brunone) with a beautiful interior of central plan and a facade from the early 1800s; very interesting, on the highest part of the settlement, where the acropolis was, is the church of S. Pietro, Romanesque-Gothic, built over great limestone blocks, with the material and within the very walls of a pagan temple.

Carlo Carletti