The Church of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome

San Giovanni in Laterano

The Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano (Archbasilica of St John Lateran), which is the cathedral of Rome, was consecrated on November 9th 324 by Pope Sylvester I (r. 314-335). St John Lateran is the only archbasilica in the world. It is called an archbasilica, because it is the most important of the four major papal basilicas, all of which are in Rome.

San Giovanni in Laterano, which was the first Christian basilica to be erected in Rome, was initially dedicated to Christ the Saviour; St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist were later added to the dedication. It also boasts the title of being the Omnium Urbis et Orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et Caput (The Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and the World).

Facade Inscription

Over the centuries, the basilica has been rebuilt and remodelled on several occasions. The last major reconstruction took place during the reign of Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55), who entrusted the task to Francesco Borromini (1599-1667).

The magnificent facade was added by the Florentine architect Alessandro Galilei (1691-1737), at the behest of Pope Clement XII (r. 1730-40), who is interred in the basilica. The inscription proclaims: CLEMENS · XII · PONT · MAX · ANNO · V · CHRISTO · SALVATORI · IN · HON · SS · IOAN · BAPT · ET · EVANG (Clement the Twelfth, Pontifex Maximus, in his fifth year, to Christ the Saviour in honour of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist).

Statues atop the facade of San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Upper Inscription

The long inscription beneath the loggia, which is a copy of a medieval one, reads: DOGMATE PAPALI DATVR AC SIMVL IMPERIALI QVOD SIM CVNCTARVM MATER ET CAPVT ECCLESIARVM HINC SALVATORIS CELESTIA REGNA DATORIS NOMINE SANXERVNT CVM CVNCTA PERACTA FVERVNT QVESVMVS EX TOTO CONVERSI SVPPLICE VOTO QVOD HEC AEDES TIBI CHRISTE SIT INCLITA SEDES (By a papal decree, together with an Imperial one, it is given that I am the head and mother of all churches. When everything was finished, they made this [place] sacred by the name of the Saviour, who gives the heavenly kingdom. We, [your] servants by vow, beseech you, Christ, by our supplications that this temple may be for you a glorious seat).

Fragment of a Mosaic by Jacopo Torriti

In the tympanum of the pediment is a fragment of a mosaic by Jacopo Torriti, which is all that survives of the decoration of the mediaeval portico. It depicts the head of Christ and is enclosed in a wreathed tondo, which is being held by a pair of angels, the work of Paolo Ciampi.

Christ the Saviour by Paolo Benaglia

The facade is crowned with a statue of Christ the Saviour, the work of Paolo Benaglia. Christ is flanked by St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist and a host of other saints (most of whom are Doctors of the Church).

Bronze doors of the Curia, church of San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Bronze Doors of the Ancient Roman Curia

The large entrance portico or narthex has a coffered barrel vault. The coat-of-arms of Pope Clement XII appears in both the ceiling and the floor. There are five doors. The central door was once the entrance to the Curia Julia in the Forum, the seat of the Roman Senate. It was moved here in 1660, on the orders of Pope Alexander VII (r. 1655-67), who added the eight-pointed stars, a reference to Alexander VII's coat of arms.

Constantine the Great

At the left end of the narthex is a statue of the emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-337), which was found in the ruins of the Baths of Constantine on the Quirinal Hill.

Naming of John by Zechariah

John the Baptist Reproves Herod

The four rectangular bas-relief panels depict scenes from the life of St John the Baptist: The Naming of John by Zechariah by Bernardino Ludovisi, John the Baptist Preaching in the Desert by Giovanni Battista Maini, John the Baptist Reproves Herod by Pietro Bracci and The Decapitation of St John the Baptist by Filippo della Valle.

Holy Door

The bronze door on the far right is the Porta Santa (Holy Door), the work of Floriano Bodini (1933-2005), which was commissioned by Pope John Paul II (r. 1978-2005) for the Holy Year of 2000.

The door depicts the Virgin Mary and Child standing in front of the crucified Christ. Unlike the vast majority of images of the Crucifixion, Bodini has correctly depicted the nails piercing Christ's wrists and not his hands. The simple Latin inscription proclaims: CHRISTUS HERI HODIE SEMPER (Christ Yesterday Today Always).

Nave

Borromini designed the niches, each with two verde antico columns, for the colossal statues of the twelve apostles (with St Paul replacing St Matthias), which were added during the first two decades of the 18th century.

St Jude by Lorenzo Ottoni

Above the statues are stucco relief panels, with Old Testament scenes on the left and scenes from the New Testament on the right. Above the reliefs are paintings of Old Testament prophets.

Jonah and the Whale

Starting at the left side of the entrance:

St Simon (1712) by Francesco Maratti. Jonah and the Whale. Micah by Pier Leone Ghezzi.
St Bartholomew (1712) by Pierre Legros. The Crossing of the Red Sea by Michel Anguier. Obadiah by Giuseppe Chiari.
St James the Less (1715) by Angelo de Rossi. Joseph being Sold by his Brothers by Francesco Pinazzi. Joel by Luigi Garzi.
St John the Evangelist (1713) by Camillo Rusconi. The Sacrifice of Abraham by Domenico De Rossi. Daniel by Andrea Procaccini.
St Andrew (1709) by Camillo Rusconi. The Flood by Michel Anguier. Baruch by Francesco Trevisani.
St Peter (1706) by Pierre-Étienne Monnot. The Expulsion of Adam and Eve by Giovanni Battista Morelli. Isaiah by Benedetto Luti.

The Resurrection of Christ by Giovanni Lazzoni

Starting at the right side of the entrance:

St Thaddeus (1712) by Lorenzo Ottoni. The Resurrection of Christ by Giovanni Lazzoni. Nahum by Domenico Maria Muratori.
St Matthew (1715) by Camillo Rusconi. Christ entering Limbo by Giovanni Antonio De Rossi. Jonah by Marco Benefial.
St Philip (1715) by Giuseppe Mazzuoli. The Arrest of Christ by Alexander Grenoble. Amos by Giuseppe Nicola Nasini.
St Thomas (1711) by Pierre Legros. Jesus Falling under the Cross by Antonio Raggi. Hosea by Giovanni Odazzi.
St James the Great (1718) by Camillo Rusconi. The Baptism of Christ by Antonio Raggi. Ezekiel by Giovanni Paolo Melchiorri.
St Paul (1708) by Pierre-Etienne Monnot. The Crucifixion of Christ by Michel Anguier. Jeremiah by Sebastiano Conca.

Tomb Slab of Pope Martin V

The beautiful bronze tomb (1443) of Pope Martin V (r. 1417-31) in the Confessio is the work of Simone Ghini (1406/7-91).
The inscription hails Pope Martin V as: TEMPORVM SVORVM FILICITAS (the joy of his times).

Baldacchino

The Gothic baldacchino (1367) is by Giovanni di Stefano. The two 19th century silver reliquaries, which take the form of half-figures of St Peter and St Paul, are said to contain their skulls.

Wooden ceiling, San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Nave Ceiling

The beautiful gilded wooden ceiling was commissioned by Pope Pius IV (r. 1559-65), whose coat of arms appears in the decoration. The design has been attributed to Pirro Ligorio (c. 1512-83).

Coat of Arms of Pope Pius IV

Coat of Arms of Pope Pius V

Coat of Arms of Pope Pius VI

The work was completed during the reign of Pope Pius V (r. 1566-72), whose coat of arms also appears. In 1775 the ceiling was restored at the behest of Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-79), who, needless to say, added his own coat of arms.

A detail of the Cosmatesque pavement in the nave of San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome.

A Detail of the Floor

The Cosmatesque floor was funded by the Colonna family and completed in its present form in 1425 during the reign of Pope Martin V Colonna (r. 1417-31). The Colonna family's heraldic device of a single column can be seen in several places.

Altar of the Blessed Sacrament

The transepts were substantially remodelled by Giacomo della Porta (1532-1602), who was commissioned by Pope Clement VIII ( r. 1592-1605) to do the work in celebration of the Jubilee of 1600. The frescoes were the responsibility of Giuseppe Cesari (1568-1640), better known as the Cavalier d'Arpino, who was in charge of a talented team of artists. The beautiful gilded wooden ceiling sports the pope's coat of arms.

Pope Sylvester Baptises Constantine, fresco by Pomarancio, San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Pope Sylvester Baptises Constantine by Pomarancio

The frescoes in the lower register of the right transept are:
West wall: The Baptism of Constantine by Pomarancio and Pope Sylvester Receives the Envoys of Constantine on Mount Soracte by Paris Nogari.
East wall: The Consecration of the Basilica by Giovanni Battista Ricci and The Building of the Basilica by Paris Nogari.

The frescoes in the lower register of the left transept are:
West wall: The Dream of Constantine by Cesare Nebbia and The Triumph of Constantine by Giuseppe Cesari.
East wall: Constantine Donates Liturgical Vessels to the Basilica and The Miraculous Appearance of the Holy Face in the Basilica, both by Giovanni Baglione.

Tabernacle by Pompeo Targone, Altar of the Blessed Sacrament

The Altar of the Blessed Sacrament, at the end of the left transept, was designed by Pietro Paolo Olivieri (1551-99) for Pope Clement VIII. The beautiful tabernacle, the work of Pompeo Targone (1575-1630), takes the form of a gilded bronze octagonal domed temple.

Apse

During the reign of Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878-1903), who is interred in the basilica, the apse was rebuilt, and on a larger scale, by the Roman architect Virginio Vespignani (1808-82). Sadly, the 13th century mosaics, the work of Jacopo Torriti and Jacopo da Camerino, were destroyed and replaced by copies.

The episcopal throne stands on a flight of five steps. The last step has the inscription: HIC EST PAPALIS SEDES ET PONTIFICALIS (This is a papal and pontifical seat). The throne stands on a white marble plinth, which sports, in relief, an adder, a lion, a dragon and a basilisk.

Funerary Monument to Pope Leo XIII

The funerary monument to Pope Leo XIII, in the left transept, is the signed ork of Giulio Tadolini (1849-1918). It was commissioned by the cardinals that Leo XIII had created, as the inscription above the door states: CARDINALES AB EO CREATI.
The monument depicts Leo XIII, St Joachim (?) and an allegorical figure of Religion. Leo XIII was ninety-three years old when he died on July 20th 1903, making him the longest-living pope in the history of the papacy.

Monument to Cardinal Girolamo Casanate, 1700, San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Funerary Monument to Cardinal Girolamo Casanate

In the outer left aisle is a fine funerary monument to Cardinal Girolamo Casanate (1620-1700) by the French sculptor Pierre Le Gros the Younger (1666-1719). Casanate left his library of 25,000 volumes to the Dominican convent of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. It now forms part of the Biblioteca Casatanatense.

Lancellotti Chapel

The fourth chapel on the left is the Cappella Lancellotti.

Cappella Clementina, San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Corsini Chapel

The first chapel on the left is the elegant Cappella Corsini (aka Cappella Clementina), which is home to the funerary monument to Pope Clement XII (r. 1730-40). The chapel, with its beautiful wrought-iron railings, was designed by Alessandro Galilei.

Inner Left Aisle

The church's charming medieval cloister (c. 1222-32), the work of Jacopo and Pietro Vassalletto, should not be missed.

North Facade

The facade on the north side of San Giovanni in Laterano was designed by Domenico Fontana (1543-1607), at the behest of Pope Sixtus V (r. 1585-90). The inscription proclaims: SIXTVS · PP · V · AD · BENEDICTIONES · EXTRVXIT · M · D · LXXXVI (Pope Sixtus V built this for blessings, 1586).

The spandrels of the arches have eight-pointed stars, pyramids of three hills, and lions holding pear-boughs, all references to the coat of arms of Pope Sixtus V.