Description

Essentials about the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in brief

A visit to the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano) is not only recommended to churchgoers. The church, often referred to as the Lateran Basilica, is one of the most important and beautiful places of worship in Rome. It is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome and thus the highest-ranking of the four papal basilicas in Rome. In addition, Saint John Lateran is one of the seven Piger churches of the eternal city. It is part of the Lateran complex of buildings in the center of Rome, which has been the official seat of the popes since the time of Emperor Constantine I.

The history and the building parts of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran

The first Christian basilica

The name of the archbasilica comes from the Roman family of the Laterani, who originally owned the land on which the church was built. It was apparently confiscated by Nero in 65 due to Plautius Lateranus’ involvement in a conspiracy against the emperor. In 161, Emperor Marcus Aurelius built a palace there. Later, the site also housed imperial stables, but the emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity, had them razed in the early 4th century in order to build a monumental basilica and associated baptistery for the Christian community. The basilica was, so to speak, the first ever public Christian church. All predecessors were private institutions, mostly small and often serving the faithful only in secret.

The importance of the Lateran Basilica

From which point in time the Lateran was the residence of the Roman bishops is still disputed in research today. Of the three major Constantinian churches, the Lateran Basilica was located within the city walls and thus served as a cathedral. St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls were located above the tombs of the apostles outside the city. That is why the church is still the pope’s episcopal church and, as such, bears the honorary title “Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput” (engl. “Mother and head of all the churches of the city of Rome and the world”). The Lateran Basilica was originally consecrated to Christ the Redeemer by Pope Sylvester I and later additionally placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist (“San Giovanni”), hence its Italian name “San Giovanni in Laterano”.

Centuries of destruction

In the 5th century the buildings on the Lateran were repeatedly plundered by Germanic tribes and additionally severely damaged by an earthquake in 896, but always repaired. In 1308, however, disaster struck again when the church as well as the Lateran Palace suffered massive damage in a fire. A renovation was undertaken in 1377, but when the popes returned from their exile in Avignon, the Lateran complex was found to be uninhabitable, so they moved their residence to the Vatican. Despite its desolate condition, San Giovanni in Laterano remained Rome’s cathedral.

The reconstruction of the Lateran Basilica

The ancient church, which had fallen into disrepair, was stabilized and baroqueized by Francesco Borromini beginning in 1646 for the Holy Year of 1650. Borromini implemented the Baroque retread in sharp contrast to the ancient basilica. Of the original basilica, he left intact only the 15th-century floor and part of the 16th-century ceiling. Borromini did, however, incorporate some of the 14th-century artwork from the basilica into the side aisles. He had huge statues of the twelve apostles placed in the walled niches of the nave. These were made by students of the famous sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, among others.

In 1736, the main facade was erected with its colossal figures up to seven meters high. In the center is Jesus, on the left is John the Baptist, on the right is a statue of St. John the Evangelist, next to them are statues of the most important Doctors of the Church. Until the 19th century, popes were still crowned in the Lateran and a total of 28 heads of the Catholic churches found their final resting place in the basilica. In 1929, the Lateran Treaties were signed here, guaranteeing statehood to the Vatican and the status of extraterritorial possession of the Holy See to the Lateran.

The cloister of the monastery and the baptistery

When visiting San Giovanni in Laterano, in addition to the nave, you should definitely have seen two other parts of the building. First, the cloister of the Lateran Basilica, built at the beginning of the 13th century, which is considered one of the most beautiful in Rome. The arcades, about 36 meters long, were decorated with richly ornamented columns, some of them twisted, which represent an artistic masterpiece.

And secondly, the Baptistery, which is probably the oldest in Christendom and is considered the “prototype of all baptisteries”. It was built around the year 315 by Constantine, probably originally in a round shape, and was rebuilt into an octagon in the middle of the 5th century. Although it has since been remodeled many times, it still shows some remains of ancient mosaics and columns. A bronze door of the 5th century has also been preserved. It is one of the last of its kind made in Rome in antiquity.

Website

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Opening hours

Opening hours basilica:

Admission fees

Church: free

Baptistry: free

Cloister: €2.00

Museum: subject to a fee

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Metro line A: Stop San Giovanni

Tram lines 3 and 8: Stop Porta S. Giovanni/Carlo Felice

Bus lines 16, 85, 87, 650 and 665: Stop P.za S. Giovanni In Laterano

Bus lines 16, 81, 85, 87, 650, 665 and nMC: Stop Porta S. Giovanni

By car:

The nearest parking garage is Parking Appio.