Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran
4 P.za di S. Giovanni in Laterano Roma
Papal Basilica and first church constructed after legalization of Christianity. Seat of the Bishop of Rome - the Pope
Known in Italian as San Giovanni Laterano, this is the odlest of the four major basilicas in Rome, which include St. Peter's Basilica, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. The property originally belonged to the Lateran family, and was inherited by Constantine's wife, Fausta. Emperor Constantine then donated it to Pope Miltiades I after the legalization of Christianity around the year 311.
The papal basilica to this day is the cathedral of Rome and official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome. It was the papal residence until the Avignon Papacy. Pope Martin V, the pontiff who brought the papacy back to Rome, is buried before the main altar.
The relics of the heads of St. Peter and Paul are located in the ciborium above at the center of the church. Tradition holds that a large relic of a table on the left side of the church was the table on which Jesus and the apostles celebrated the Last Supper.
Featured in
Related Content
"Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran" - EWTN Vaticano
Related Content
"Traditions and Relics of Via Crucis in Rome" - EWTN Travel
Related Content
"Discover the Orginal Papal Palace" - EWTN Vaticano