Conti di Segni facts for kids
The Conti di Segni were a very important and powerful noble family from Italy during the Middle Ages and later. They came from a town called Segni in Lazio. Many people from this family became important leaders, like military commanders or religious figures. They even had four popes!
The Powerful Conti di Segni Family
The Conti di Segni family began with a man named Trasimondo. His son, Lotario Conti, became a very important leader. He was elected as Pope Innocent III in 1198. He led the Catholic Church until 1216.
Popes from the Conti Family
The Conti family is famous for having four of its members become popes, who are the leaders of the Catholic Church.
- The first was Lotario Conti, who became Pope Innocent III. He was pope from 1198 to 1216.
- The second Conti pope was Ugolino. He became Pope Gregory IX and served from 1227 to 1241.
- The third pope from this family was Rinaldo. He was known as Pope Alexander IV and reigned from 1254 to 1261.
- Much later, in the early 1700s, Michelangelo Conti became Pope Innocent XIII. He was pope from 1721 to 1724.
Famous Members and Family Branches
Another well-known member of the family was Torquato Conti (1591–1636). He was a General-Field Marshal for the Holy Roman Empire. This was during a big war called the Thirty Years' War. People called him The Devil because he was known for being very strict and harsh.
Over time, the Conti di Segni family grew very large. It split into many different groups, called branches. The two main branches were:
- The counts of Segni and Valmontone.
- The dukes of Poli and Guadagnolo.
