CLITUMNUS

clitumnus, a river in umbria, italy, which rises from a very abundant spring by the road between the ancient spoletium and trebia, 8 m. from the former, 4 m. from the latter, and after a short course through the territory of the latter town joins the tinia, a tributary of the tiber. the spring is well described by pliny (_epist._ viii. 8): it was visited by caligula and by honorius, and is still picturesque--a clear pool surrounded by poplars and weeping willows. the stream was personified as a god, whose ancient temple lay near the spring, and close by other smaller shrines; the place, therefore, occurs under the name _sacraria_ (the shrines) as a roman post station. the building generally known as the tempio di clitunno, close to the spring, is, however, an ancient tomb, converted into a christian church in the early middle ages, the decorative sculptures, which are obviously contemporary with those of s. salvatore at spoleto, belonging to the 4th or 6th century according to some authorities, to the 12th according to others. see h. grisar, _nuovo bullettino di archeologia cristiana_ (rome, 1895) i. 127; a. venturi, _storia dell' arte italiana_ (milan, 1904), iii. 903.