Segni, Diocese of

SEGNI, DIOCESE of. – City and diocese in the province of Rome, 58 km. from it, at an altitude of 665 m. above sea level. It has an area of 250 sq. km. with a popula-

(fol. 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 among 14 parishes, served by 35 diocesan priests and 10 religious priests; it has a seminary, 3 male and 11 female religious communities (Ann. Pont. 1952, p. 373). It is immediately subject to the Holy See. The patron of the diocese is s. Brunone.

It is ancient Signia, in a strongly strategic position, on the compulsory route followed by the Hernician peoples toward Rome. The ancient tradition, preserved by Livy, recalls it as a colony of Latin law. The Signini always remained faithful to Rome, even during the Hannibalic War. The name opus signinum refers to a special waterproof plaster, made of crushed potsherds bound with lime from the local mountains. S. still preserves almost the entire circuit of the cyclopean-type walls, approximately 2 km. larger than the perimeter of the present-day city, which constitute an example of an exceptionally strong defense of a city and acropolis; they are the most imposing in Latium. Particularly noteworthy is the Porta Saracena, which has the special characteristic of narrowing upward and supporting five enormous monoliths. Because of its position and fortifications, S. was not greatly damaged during the period of the invasions; under Byzantine rule it formed part of the Duchy of Rome; in the early years of the 8th century it passed to the Church; then, in 1353, to the family of the Counts of S.; later, through marriage, it came to the Sforza as a fief; it was elevated to a duchy in 1639; subsequently purchased 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 already an episcopal see in the 5th century. The first bishop of whom there is record is Santulus, who was present in Rome at the Council of Symmachus in 499; but, since he was prevented from doing so, Fortunatus, bishop of Anagni, signed the decrees on his behalf. He was followed by Bishop Giustus, who signed the Third Roman Synod of 501, the Fourth of 502, and the Sixth of 504. In the history of the Church of S., s. Brunone da Solero (Alessandria [v.]) is of the greatest importance. In the letter “Et ordo rationis expostulat” of 4 Nov. 1182, addressed to Bishop Pietro (appointed by Alessandro III, and present at the Lateran Council of 1179), Lucius III granted privileges and possessions to the Church of S. and precisely defined its boundaries; Clement III, on 19 Dec. 1188, again confirmed the ancient privileges, especially concerning possession of Castella, Collis Medius, Mattelonicus, Gabilianus, Plumbinaria (the tall Torre Plumbinaria, belonging to an ancient castle, still exists on the road to Paliano), and Valmontonius. S. is the birthplace of Pope s. Vitaliano (657–72); in the 12th–14th centuries it was often a residence of Popes; those who especially dwelt there were: Eugenio III, Alessandro III, who canonized Tommaso da Cantorbery there in 1179, Lucio III, and Innocenzo III.
Among the sacred buildings, the Cathedral (S. Brunone) is noteworthy, with a beautiful central-plan interior and a façade from the early 19th century. Very interesting is the church of S. Pietro, in the highest part of the settlement, where the acropolis stood: it is Romanesque-pointed in style, built above large limestone blocks, using the material and even the walls of a pagan temple.