Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Segni

(SIGNINSIS).

Located in the Province of Rome. The city, situated on a hill in the Monti Lepini overlooks the valley of the river Sacco. There still exist the double enclosure of a cyclopean wall and the gates, the architrave of which is a large monolith; one of these is the famous Porta Saracinesca. There are also the ruins of a church (St. Peter's) and some underground excavations, which recall Etruscan influence. Under Tarquin the Proud, of Etruscan origin, it became a colony. With other Latin cities it rebelled against Rome more than once. On several occasions it served as a place of refuge for the popes, and Eugenius III erected a palace there. In the twelfth century it came into possession of the Conti Marsi, which family gave four members to the papal ranks. In 1558 it was sacked by the forces of the Duke of-Alba in the war against Paul IV; immense booty was captured, as the inhabitants of the other towns of the Campagna had fled thither. Segni is the birthplace of Pope St. Vitalianus and of the physician Ezio Cleti. The Cappella Conti in the cathedral is worthy of admiration. The first known bishop of Segni is Sanctulus (about 494); among his successors are: St. Bruno (1079), who wrote an excellent commentary on the Scriptures; Trasmundo (1123), deposed for supporting Anacletus II, the antipope; on his repentance he was restored; under John III (1138), St. Thomas a Becket was canonized in the cathedral (1173); Lucio Fazini (1482), renowned for his erudition; Fra Bernardino Callini (1541), wrote the life of St. Bruno; Giuseppe Panfili, O.S.A. (1570), deposed and imprisoned on account of his misdeeds; Paolo Ciotti (1784), who governed the diocese with great wisdom during the Revolution. The diocese is immediately subject to the Holy See; it contains 12 parishes; 58 secular and 18 regular priests; 20,000 inhabitants; 3 houses of religious and 8 of nuns; a college for young boys and 5 educational establishments for young girls.

CAPPELLETTI, Le chiese d'Italia, II (Venice, 1887).

U. BENIGNI