Archbasilica of St. John Lateran

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.

Location: Rome

Founders: Miltiades

Architects: Francesco Borromini, Alessandro Galilei

Architectural style: baroque architecture, Neoclassical architecture

Length: 140 m

Width: 73 m

Accessibility: Rolstoeltoegankelijk

Made from material: marble, cement, granite

Part of: Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura, Lateran, Extraterritorial properties of the Holy See, Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome

Address: Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano

Opening Hours: Maandag-Zondag 07:00-18:30

Website: http://vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/index_it.htm

GPS coordinates: 41.88591,12.50616

Latest update: December 14, 2025 23:16