Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Major basilica in Laterano district, Rome, Italy
The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is a large church in the Laterano district of Rome with a four-story neoclassical facade and 15 colossal statues. The interior shows massive columns with mosaics and bronze doors that originally came from the Roman Senate House.
Pope Sylvester I consecrated the church in the year 324 on land that had previously belonged to the Laterani family, who served Roman emperors. Over the centuries it was rebuilt several times after fires and earthquakes, with the current facade dating from the 18th century.
The basilica carries the title Mother and Head of All Churches of the World, written in golden letters above the entrance. Believers from across the globe come here to see the papal altar, where only the Pope may celebrate Mass.
The church opens daily from 7 AM to 6:30 PM and allows visitors to see the main nave as well as the adjacent medieval cloister. A visit in the early morning helps avoid larger groups and lets you examine the architecture calmly.
Beneath the altar lie the heads of the apostles Peter and Paul in silver reliquaries, visible only through a grille from below. The adjacent 13th-century cloister shows twisted columns with inlaid mosaic patterns, created by artists from the Roman marble-working Cosmati family.
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