 Piazza
Saint John in Lateran is named after the famous cathedral of San
Giovanni.
This is the first cathedral in Rome. Emperor Constantine allowed
the Pope to set up the Episcopal Chair after 312. It has been destroyed
and reconstructed many times. On its balustrade there are fifteen
gigantic statues. They represent the saints and the Redeemer is
in the center. On the left porch you can see Constantine’s
statue. The great central door, which serves as the entrance to
the cathedral has bronze leaves. The last door on the right is the
Holy door. It is opened only on the occasion of the Jubilee.
 Inside
the church there are five aisles and the floor is in the shape of
a Latin cross. There is a beautiful gold plated ceiling, which is
an added attraction for visitors. The papal altar is imposing and
has an elegant tabernacle dating to the second half of the fourth
century. There are beautiful frescoes attributed to Barn from Siena.
Fragments from the famous fresco of Boniface VIII announcing the
Jubilee in the 1300’s by Gioto have also been discovered.
There are thirteenth century cloisters with double columns. The
relics of St. Peter and St. Paul’s heads are kept in silver
containers.
 Many
popes through the ages added decorations, works of art and renovations
to this great cathedral. Borromini made several internal restorations
on the occasion of the Jubilee in 1650 of Pope Innocent V. In 1735
Alexander Galilee a famous architect of the time made out of travertine
the famous and imposing façade. Pope Pio IX and Leon XIII
also reconstructed and restored the cathedral.
The Palazzo Laterano or the Lateran Palace is next to the cathedral.
This was the first home of the popes until Pope Clement (1305-1315)
transferred the papal residence to Avignon. After the return of
the Pope to Rome in 1377 the Vatican Palace was chosen as the home
of the Popes and it still is their home and official residence.
 On
the other side of the piazza is the Santuario della Scala Santa
or the Palace of the Holy Steps. There are twenty-eight marble steps
and the legend goes that these are the steps Christ climbed on the
day he was brought before Pontius Pilate. According to a medieval
legend Helen, Constantine’s mother, brought these steps from
Pontius Pilate’s villa in Jerusalem to Rome in 326 and they
have been at this location to date. Pilgrims from all over the world
come here and climb the steps on their knees. This is one of the
holiest sites of Christianity.
Whether you are a pilgrim or not a visit to Piazza san Giovanni
of Laterno is a must both for its religious and historical importance.
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