Amazing Italy:
Walking
through Segni with Serena Derea Squanquerillo
by Maria
Teresa De Donato
Hello dear friends!
Today my friend and colleague author, Serena Derea
Squanquerillo, creator and hostess of the program Vivere I Talenti - Storie di Riscatto Personale for the Phoebus Association of Velletri
(Rome), came to visit us. I had the pleasure of meeting her some time ago. She
will tell us about a place very dear to her: Segni, in the province of
Rome.
So let’s close our eyes and walk, even if only virtually,
through this ancient town, enjoying some local cuisine delicacies.
Enjoy the reading!
MTDD: Thank you, Serena, for accepting
the invitation to participate in my Amazing Italy column. I am very happy you are here
with me today.
SDS: Thank you, Maria Teresa, for asking me to participate. I am
delighted.
MTDD: Serena, you are actually
‘velletrana’ (= from Velletri). Today, however, you have decided to talk to us
about another location: Segni.
What can you tell us about it?
SDS: I would start with some historical data by saying that the town
of Segni is located on the outskirts of Rome on a ridge of the Lepini mountains
in the Sacco valley. It arose about 2000 years ago as the ancient Volsca
“Signia,” whose Cyclopean walls with their access doors are still present.
MTDD: It is, therefore, a very
ancient town ...
SDS: Absolutely, yes. To briefly mention its history and economy, we
can say that in the Segni area, there were some occasional settlements since
the most remote times, even dating back to the Bronze Age. The true story of
Segni, however, began in the early Roman era due to its position in the Sacco
River Valley. Here upper Lazio, lower Lazio, and Campania merge, which is why
it became a strategic defense post for the ancient city of Rome. Over time, it
sent colonists there several times. Today Segni is an important bishopric to
the town of Velletri.
MTDD: Being surrounded by greenery, I
imagine its economy is mainly agricultural. Am I wrong?
SDS: Indeed, you are not wrong at all. From an industrial point of
view, the production of building materials is active in Segni. Its economy is,
in fact, mainly agricultural and pastoral, with the production of chestnuts and
cattle breeding. The “Sagra del Marrone” is famous every year on the
penultimate Sunday of October and is dedicated to a high-quality local product
that satisfies 5% of the world’s production of chestnuts.
MTDD: Is there any episode that has
stuck in the mind of your visits to Segni that you would like to tell us about?
SDS: Certainly. I was in Segni at the end of October 2019 on the
occasion of the festival. There were many people, and after the parade of flag
wavers and local authorities for the official inauguration, I walked through
the historical center among jugglers and children in celebration. I visited
some typical food shops where you can buy other local products: handmade egg
pasta, mushrooms, truffles, seared donuts, and extra virgin olive oil.
After lunch, I finally tasted the chestnuts in the foil, prepared in large
perforated pans in some corners of the squares. Eventually, I moved away from
the most crowded areas to explore this little gem of the Lepini, entering the
paths of artistic and archaeological interest. I’ll tell you about some of
these treasures.
MTDD: We are delighted to walk with you
through the streets of Segni.
Where do we start?
SDS: Let’s start from Porta Maggiore (Photo 01).
It is the monumental main gateway to the historic center.
It was a “gemina” door, made up of two large side-by-side arches, of which the
one on the left survives today. The door, opened in a deep recess, was framed
and protected by two doors, some walls of which remain. On the inside and at
the top, the door is painted with a sacred image depicting the Madonna and
Child and other religious figures and scenes. The monumental gate has undergone
several reorganization interventions. The pavement on the external side
represents the city’s coat of arms, and the public gardens are also on the
exterior side.
MTDD: Very interesting. In Segni, if I remember
correctly, since I went there many years ago as a young girl, it seems there
are also various exciting churches to visit ...
SDS:
Yes, you remember correctly.
The first one I would recommend seeing is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Photo 02)
Always passing through the historic center, I photographed this cathedral
with its neoclassical facade designed by the architect Giuseppe Valadier in the
18th century. The structure was rebuilt in the seventeenth century on a project
by the architect Giovanni Battista Roderi, while of the previous medieval
construction, there are only written testimonies and some decorative fragments
preserved in the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
The city of Segni is the seat of the Diocese, attested from 499 until 1986. In the latter year, it was merged with the Diocese of Velletri, a city that is another seat of the Bishop's residence. Since then, the Cathedral of Segni has been Con-cathedral, next to the Veliterna cathedral of San Clemente, located at the beginning of the historic center. We will talk about this in a future article.
From here, I continued to the Belvedere di Pianillo to enjoy the
breathtaking view of the Valle del Sacco, where some cities in the province of
Frosinone, such as Anagni and Alatri, together with a part of the Roman suburbs. (Photo 03).
The second one to visit is the Church of San Pietro (Photo 04) and the Roman cistern. (Photo 05)
As we advance, following Via Pianillo downhill, you arrive at the ancient
acropolis. Here is the 13th-century Church of San Pietro, restored several
times and considered the oldest in Segni. It is located on the tip of the
mountain now called St. Peter's Square, where the remains of an ancient Roman
acropolis became a strategic defense area in the Middle Ages. The church was
born on the central cell of a pagan temple of the III-II century BC, dedicated
to Giunone Moneta, as it is visible from the rear of the structure. The bell
tower, in Gothic style and restored in the 19th century, was built with the
remains of the side cells of the temple. Inside, itIt is possible to admire
frescoes brought to light during the various restorations and depicting: the
Virgin and Child, from the Giotto school, the oldest preserved in Segni, and
San Sebastiano and the Madonna and Child with Saints Stefano, Lorenzo, and
Vitaliano. During the restoration work, the walls of the pagan temple were also
rediscovered.
Just behind the church are the remains of a circular structure: a cistern
with a bottom leaning towards the center. The filling system of the large tank
was based on collecting rainwater from the surrounding surfaces. Still, this
basin was only part of a more complex water distribution system, an actual
urban aqueduct. The cistern is made of tuff bricks cemented with Opus Signinum,
a particular type of lime characteristic of the place. It was famous in ancient
times because it was resistant and impervious to water.
From this high point of Segni, you can observe an incredible landscape
rich in greenery, crops, and some neighboring municipalities. There is also a
bar with wooden stalls where you can have something to drink and eat, enjoying
that natural spectacle. (Photo
05 Panorama).
Continuing around the main squares of Segni, I stopped in front of the Church of Santa Lucia
(Photo 06), a church in a
somewhat secluded area dedicated to the Syracusan saint martyred during the
persecution of Diocletian. It was built at the time of Pope San Vitaliano in
the seventh century and was unfortunately destroyed by an air raid during World
War II. It was rebuilt in the 1950s but in a different location than the
previous one. I did not enter the structure, but I gathered some information:
inside, there are three naves divided by tall travertine columns. The apse is
decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo Bedini. Upon entering, on the right,
you can admire a wooden statue of Saint Lucia, found in the rubble of the air
raid. In the square, in front of the church, on the left before the entrance portico,
is the bust of Thomas Becket in memory of his canonization in the 12th century.
MTDD: Fascinating,
Serena. What else did you see while continuing your walk?
SDS: The
Cyclopean Walls and the Doors (Photo 07). Moving forward, in fact, through
the historic center along the external streets, it is possible to see the
remains of the Cyclopean Walls, which attest to the ancient origins of Segni
and date back to the 6th century BC. The walls are made up of monolithic
polygonal boulders of considerable dimensions to protect the old village. The
structures are well preserved, and some doors open inside, the largest of which
is Porta Saracena, compared for its might to the Lion Gate of Mycenae. I
could not get to Porta Saracena – located on the opposite side of the city –
but I got to the door near Ponte Scarabeo, beyond which a descent leads out of
the village.
From this point, I went
back to Porta Maggiore to go to the public gardens, where there were
stalls and stands with typical products, so I could have dinner before heading back
home.
In conclusion, I also
point out the minor Gates that we can visit through the archaeological
itinerary of Segni:
• La Portelletta, just
below the Pianillo bend;
• A door in the intermediate
section between the Saracena and the Portelletta;
• A small door, without
architrave, just below the Pianillo pine forest;
• The "Porta
Santa," immediately below San Pietro;
• The "Porta
Foca";
• The door of the
Lucino.
Sources used: A personal
study with the support of the municipal site and sites for tourist itineraries.
Photos: Property of
Serena Derea Squanquerillo. Chestnut's images: from the web without copyright.
MTDD: Thank
you, Serena, for your detailed explanations on Segni. We are happy to welcome
you for some other exciting walks in your area.
SDS: Thanks to
you, Maria Teresa. It was a pleasure for me too.
