SAN SEVERO, a town of Naples, capital of a district in the province of Capitanata, on the northern edge of the Tavoliere di Puglia, or great pastoral plain of Apulia, at the foot of Monte Gargano, 20 miles N. by W. of Foggia. It is walled, but outside of the fortifications a new town and extensive suburbs have sprung up. In this portion stand many handsome residences of the more wealthy citizens. The inhabitants in 1799 made a gallant but vain resistance to the French under Duhesme, in revenge for which an indiscriminate slaughter was begun, and the town was only saved from total destruction by the heroism of the women, who threw themselves between the victorious soldiery and their victims. Pop. 19,000.