Archbasilica of St. John Lateran
Rome's real cathedral is this one, not St. Peter's, and it has been the pope's home church since 324.
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The oldest public church in Rome and first of the four major papal basilicas, it is the seat of the pope as Bishop of Rome. The inscription over the entrance calls it mother and head of all churches of the city and the world.
What to look for
- Twelve larger-than-life apostle statues in the nave niches Borromini created, carved 1704-1718 by sculptors including Camillo Rusconi and Pierre Le Gros
- The Gothic ciborium of 1369 rising over the high altar, which incorporates a wooden altar said to have been used by St. Peter
- The 13th-century cloister ringed by inlaid-marble columns in a style between Romanesque and Gothic, the work of Vassalletto and the Cosmati
The Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs), moved here by Sixtus V in 1589, stands before the Sancta Sanctorum, the ancient papal palatine chapel, so plan it as a distinct stop.
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is one of 40 sights worth the detour in Rome, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Rome pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Rome
- Vatican CityThe world's smallest sovereign state fits in 44 hectares — you cross its border by stepping over a white line.
- ColosseumAround 50,000 Romans packed this stone oval to watch spectacles staged over a two-level warren of cages beneath the arena floor.
- St. Peter's BasilicaThe world's largest church, built directly over the grave believed to hold St. Peter's bones.
- Sistine ChapelMichelangelo painted the ceiling standing up, not on his back — and cardinals still elect the pope in this room.
- PantheonA 1,900-year-old concrete dome with a hole punched in the top — when it rains in Rome, it rains inside too.
- Stadio OlimpicoOne 70,634-seat bowl, two cross-town tenants: AS Roma and SS Lazio both play here.