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The Co-Cathedral of Segni: The Story of a Baroque Rebirth
In the heart of the town of Segni, the Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (St Mary of the Assumption) is not merely a place of worship, but a history book written in stone. Destroyed and rebuilt, its architecture tells of an extraordinary transformation: from an ancient medieval basilica to a magnificent Baroque temple, which today preserves a significant artistic heritage.
A Medieval Bell Tower as the Sole Remaining Memory
The history of the cathedral begins around the year one thousand. The original church, completed in the 12th century, was a single-nave basilica on which the most important families of Roman marble workers laboured, among them the Cosmati and Vassalletto families. Only the bell tower survives of that building, once so prominent as to host events of historical significance, now a silent witness to a bygone era.
The Great Reconstruction of the 17th Century
The dramatic turning point came in 1557, when the sack of Segni severely damaged the church. Nearly a century later, in 1626, the decision was made to begin again from the foundations. Driven by mayor Giovanni Battista Lauri, an entirely new church took shape, based on a Greek cross plan with a large central dome. The construction site lasted decades, but gave rise to the building we can admire today.
A Treasure of Paintings and Frescoes
The interior is a true gallery of 17th-century art. The crowning achievement of the decoration is the fresco of the dome, where the Trinity crowns the Virgin Mary among local saints — an illusionistic masterpiece created by the brothers Jacques and Antonio Courtois in 1673. The presbytery is enriched by paintings by Alessandro Charchenne, while on the high altar a 19th-century altarpiece of the Assumption takes pride of place.
The Present-Day Appearance: the 19th and 20th Centuries
The church continued to change face. The façade in local stone, with its two clocks, was added only in 1817. Later, thanks to a donation from Pope Pius IX, the floor and altar in white marble were installed. Finally, in the early 20th century, the interior was clad in marble and given a new pulpit and twelve monochrome panels, depicting scenes from the Gospels.
