Segni

Segni (in Latin Signia) is an Italian town and comune located in Lazio. 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 at the site date mostly from the Republican period. These 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 of Segni sits the podium of the temple of Juno Moneta, which now supports a Medieval church of Saint Peter (tenth century). Later history On several occasions Segni served as a place of refuge for popes, and the mid-twelfth century Eugene III erected a palace there. In the twelfth century it came into possession of the Counts of Marsi, hereditary enemies of the Orsini. The family called de' Conti produced several popes (Innocent III, Gregory IX 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; immense booty was captured, as the inhabitants of the other towns of the Campagna had fled thither. Politician Giulio Andreotti was born in Segni in 1919. 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 ancient acropolis of Segni is marked by the former site of the temple of Juno Moneta. The acropolis has recently been the site of renewed fieldwork undertaken by the British School at Rome. Twin towns Mykines, Greece References This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Segni". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.