Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
Cathedral of Rome | ||
---|---|---|
Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World | ||
Papal major basilica, Cathedral | ||
Dedication | Christ the Savior (primary)
Style Baroque, Neoclassical | |
Groundbreaking | AD 4th century | |
Completed | 1735 | |
Specifications | ||
Length | 140 metres (460 ft) | |
Width | 73 metres (240 ft) | |
Nave width | 65 metres (213 ft) | |
Materials | Marble, granite, and cement | |
Administration | ||
Diocese | Rome | |
Clergy | ||
Bishop(s) | Pope Francis | |
Archpriest | Angelo De Donatis | |
Europe and North America |
The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (formally named the "Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World", and commonly known as the Lateran Basilica or Saint John Lateran)
The church is the oldest and highest ranking of the four major papal basilicas as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, holding the unique title of "archbasilica". Founded in 324, it is the oldest public church in the city of Rome, and the oldest basilica of the Western world.[1] It houses the cathedra of the Roman bishop,[2][3] and has the title of ecumenical mother church of the Catholic faithful. The building deteriorated during the Middle Ages and was badly damaged by two fires in the 14th century. It was rebuilt in the late 16th century during the reign of Pope Sixtus V. The new structure's interior was renovated in the late 17th century, and its façade was completed in 1735 under Pope Clement XII.
The current rector is
The large Latin inscription on the
Name
The archbasilica's Latin name is Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatoris ac Sancti Ioannis Baptistae et Ioannis Evangelistae ad Lateranum,[6] which in English is the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran, and in Italian Arcibasilica [Papale] del Santissimo Salvatore e Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano.[4]
History
Lateran Palace
The archbasilica stands over the remains of the
The remainder of the site was occupied during the early
The
Early Church
The anniversary of the dedication of the church has been observed as a feast since the 12th century. In the General Roman Calendar of the Catholic Church, 9 November is the feast of the Dedication of the (Arch)Basilica of the Lateran (Dedicatio Basilicae Lateranensis), referred to in older texts as the "Dedication of the Basilica of the Most Holy Savior".[citation needed]
The Middle Ages
On the archbasilica's front wall between the main portals is a plaque inscribed with the words SACROS LATERAN ECCLES OMNIUM VRBIS ET ORBIS ECCLESIARVM MATER ET CAPUT ("Most Holy Lateran Church, mother and head of all the churches in the city and the world"); a visible indication of the declaration that the basilica is the "mother church" of all the world. In the twelfth century the canons of the Lateran claimed that the high altar housed the Ark of the Covenant and several holy objects from Jerusalem. The basilica was thus presented as the Temple of the New Covenant.[1] Archived 24 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
The archbasilica and Lateran Palace were re-dedicated twice.
Every pope, beginning with Pope Miltiades, occupied the Lateran Palace until the reign of the French Pope Clement V, who in 1309 transferred the seat of the papacy to Avignon, a papal fiefdom that was an enclave in France. The Lateran Palace has also been the site of five ecumenical councils (see Lateran councils).[citation needed]
Fires and reconstruction
During the time the
There were several attempts at reconstruction of the archbasilica before a definitive program of
Further renovation of the interior of the archbasilica ensued under the direction of Francesco Borromini, commissioned by Pope Innocent X. The twelve niches created by his architectural scheme were eventually filled in 1718 with statues of the Apostles, sculpted by the most prominent Roman Rococo sculptors.
The vision of
The façade as it appears today was completed in 1735. It reads in Latin: Clemens XII Pont Max Anno V Christo Salvatori In Hon SS Ioan Bapt et Evang; this highly abbreviated inscription is expanded thus: Clemens XII, Pont[ifex] Max[imus], [in] Anno V, [dedicavit hoc aedificium] Christo Salvatori, in hon[orem] [sanctorum] Ioan[is] Bapt[tistae] et Evang[elistae]. This translates as "Pope Clement XII, Pontifex Maximus, in the fifth year of his reign, dedicated this building to Christ the Savior, in honor of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist".[5] Galilei's façade removed all vestiges of traditional, ancient, basilical architecture and imparted a neo-classical facade.
-
Ceiling
-
The Lateran Obelisk
-
The Loggia delle Benedizioni, on the rear left side. Annexed, on the left, is the Lateran Palace.
World War II
During the Second World War, the Lateran and its related buildings were used under Pope
Vincenzo Fagiolo and Pietro Palazzini, vice-rector of the seminary, were recognized by Yad Vashem for their efforts to assist Jews.[14][15]
Architecture
This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
History
An apse lined with mosaics and open to the air still preserves the memory of one of the most famous halls of the ancient palace, the "
Some few remains of the original buildings may still be traced in the
A great many donations from the Popes and other benefactors to the archbasilica are recorded in the
In 897, it was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake: ab altari usque ad portas cecidit ("it collapsed from the altar to the doors"). The damage was so extensive that it was difficult to trace the lines of the old building, but these were mostly respected and the new building was of the same dimensions as the old. This second basilica stood for 400 years before it burned in 1308. It was rebuilt by Pope Clement V and Pope John XXII. It burned once more in 1360, and was rebuilt by Pope Urban V.
Through vicissitudes the archbasilica retained its ancient form, being divided by rows of columns into aisles, and having in front a
The porticoes were frescoed, probably not earlier than the 12th century, commemorating the
In one of the rebuildings, probably that which was carried out by Pope Clement V, a transverse nave was introduced, imitated no doubt from the one which had been added, long before this, to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Probably at this time the archbasilica was enlarged.
Some portions of the older buildings survive. Among them the pavement of medieval
From the 5th century, there were seven oratories surrounding the archbasilica. These before long were incorporated into the church. The devotion of visiting these oratories, which was maintained through the Mediaeval Ages, gave rise to the similar devotion of the seven altars, still common in many churches of Rome and elsewhere.
Of the façade by
By bringing the central bay forward very slightly, and capping it with a pediment that breaks into the roof balustrade, Galilei provided an entrance doorway on a more than colossal scale, framed in the paired colossal
In the narthex of the church, is a 4th-century statue of emperor Constantine. It was found elsewhere in Rome, and moved to this site by order of Pope Clement XII.
Between the archbasilica and the city wall there was a great monastery, in which dwelt the community of monks whose duty it was to provide the services in the archbasilica. The only part of it which still survives is the 13th century
Statues of the Apostles
The twelve niches created in
The sculptors and their sculptures follow and are dated according to Conforti (the dates reflect archival findings but models for most must have existed before):
- Pierre-Étienne Monnot
- Saint Paul (1704–1708)
- Saint Peter (1704–1711)
- Francesco Moratti
- Saint Simon (1704–1709)
- Lorenzo Ottoni
- Saint Jude Thaddeus (1704–1709)
- Giuseppe Mazzuoli
- Saint Philip (1705–1711)
- Pierre Le Gros
- Saint Thomas (1705–1711)
- Saint Bartholomew (c. 1705–1712)
- Angelo de' Rossi
- Saint James the Lesser (1705–1711)
- Camillo Rusconi
- Saint Andrew (1705–1709)
- Saint John (1705–1711)
- Saint Matthew (1711–1715)
- Saint James the Greater (1715–1718)
South wall
-
Saint Simon
by Moratti -
Saint Bartholomew
by Le Gros -
Saint James the Lesser
by de' Rossi -
Saint John
by Rusconi -
Saint Andrew
by Rusconi -
Saint Peter
by Monnot
North wall
-
Saint Paul
by Monnot -
Saint James the Greater
by Rusconi -
Saint Thomas
by Le Gros -
Saint Philip
by Mazzuoli -
Saint Matthew
by Rusconi -
Saint Jude Thaddeaus
by Ottoni
Papal tombs
There are six extant papal tombs inside the archbasilica:
Twelve additional papal tombs were constructed in the archbasilica starting in the 10th century, but were destroyed during the two fires that ravaged it in 1308 and 1361. The remains of these charred tombs were gathered and reburied in a polyandrion. The popes whose tombs were destroyed are: Pope John X (914–928), Pope Agapetus II (946–955), Pope John XII (955–964), Pope Paschal II (1099–1118), Pope Callixtus II (1119–1124), Pope Honorius II (1124–1130), Pope Celestine II (1143–1144), Pope Lucius II (1144–1145), Pope Anastasius IV (1153–1154), Pope Clement III (1187–1191), Pope Celestine III (1191–1198), and Pope Innocent V (1276). Popes who reigned during this period, whose tombs are unknown, and who may have been buried in the archbasilica include Pope John XVII (1003), Pope John XVIII (1003–1009), and Pope Alexander II (1061–1073). Pope John X was the first pope buried within the walls of Rome, and was granted a prominent burial due to rumors that he was murdered by Theodora during a historical period known as the saeculum obscurum. Cardinals Vincenzo Santucci and Carlo Colonna are also buried in the archbasilica.
The skull of Saint Peter is also claimed to reside in the archbasilica since at least the ninth century, alongside the skull of Saint Paul.[17]
Baptistery and Holy Stairs
The octagonal Lateran baptistery stands somewhat apart from the archbasilica. It was founded by
The Scala Sancta, or Holy Stairs, are white marble steps encased in wooden ones. They supposedly form the staircase which once led to the praetorium of
Archpriests
Pope Boniface VIII instituted the office of Archpriest of the Archbasilica circa 1299.[18]
List of Archpriests of the Archbasilica:[19]
|
|
Gallery
-
Alessandro Galilei completed the late Baroque façade of the archbasilica in 1735 after winning a competition for the design.
-
Next to the main entrance is the inscription of the archbasilica's declaration to being the mother church of the world.
-
Statue ofSaint John the Baptist.
-
The decorated ceiling.
-
The cloister of the attached monastery, with a cosmatesque decoration.
-
The cloister of the attached monastery.
-
Our Lady of Częstochowadepicted in the archbasilica.
-
Interior picture of the Apse in the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran containing the Papal cathedra.
See also
- Early Christian art and architecture
- Colegio de San Juan de Letran, a Philippine school named after the archbasilica
- Index of Vatican City-related articles
- Schola Castra Nova Equitum Singularium
References
Notes
- ^ a b The archbasilica is within Italian territory and not the territory of the Vatican City State. (Lateran Treaty of 1929, Article 15 (The Treaty of the Lateran by Benedict Williamson; London: Burns, Oates, and Washbourne Limited, 1929; pages 42–66)) However, the Holy See fully owns the archbasilica, and Italy is legally obligated to recognize its full ownership thereof (Lateran Treaty of 1929, Article 13 (Ibidem)) and to concede to it "the immunity granted by International Law to the headquarters of the diplomatic agents of foreign States" (Lateran Treaty of 1929, Article 15 (Ibidem)).
- Latin)
Citations
- ^ "San Giovanni in Laterano". Giubileo 2000. Santa Sede – vatican.va.
- ^ "Papal basilicas". vatican.va. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ papal basilicas.
- ^ a b c "Basilica Papale" (in Italian). Vicariatus Urbis: Portal of the Diocese of Rome. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ ISBN 9780801891496. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- ISBN 9788871403403.
Statuta Patriarchalis Archibasilicae Ss.mi Salvatoris ac SS. Ioannis Baptistae et Ioannis Evangelistae ad Lateranum Romanae Ecclesiae Cathedralis.
- ISBN 978-0-19-213964-1. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - ^ a b "Arcibasilica Papale San Giovanni in Laterano – Cenni storici" (in Italian). Holy See. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ISBN 971-91595-4-5.
- ^ a b Fanny Davenport and Rogers MacVeagh, Fountains of Papal Rome (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1915), pp. 156 et seq.
- ^ a b Lunde, Paul (March–April 1979). "A Forest of Obelisks". Saudi Aramco World. Houston, Texas: Aramco Services Company. pp. 28–32. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ a b PBS:NOVA:A World of Obelisks-Rome
- ISBN 9780809140329
- ^ "Palazzini", the righteous among the Nations, Yad Vashem
- ^ "Fagiolo", The Righteous Among the Nations, Yad Vashem
- ^ a b Cf. Michael Conforti, The Lateran Apostles, unpublished Ph. D. thesis (Harvard University, 1977); Conforti published a short resume of his dissertation: Planning the Lateran Apostles, in Henry A. Millon (editor), Studies in Italian Art and Architecture 15th through 18th Centuries, (Rome, 1980) (Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome 35), pp. 243–60.
- ^ Cuming, H. Syer (December 1870). "Notes on a group of reliquaries". Journal of the British Archaeological Association.
- ^ a b Moroni, Gaetano (1840–1861). Dizionario di Erudizione Storico–Ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai Nostri Giorni (in Italian). Vol. 12. Venezia: Tipografia Emiliana. p. 31.
- ^ a b Respective biographic entries in "Essay of a General List of Cardinals". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church..
Sources
- Barnes, Arthur S. (1910). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company. . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).
- Claussen, Peter C.; Senekovic, Darko (2008). S. Giovanni in Laterano. Mit einem Beitrag von Darko Senekovic über S. Giovanni in Fonte, in Corpus Cosmatorum, Volume 2, 2. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. ISBN 978-3-515-09073-5.
- OCLC 163156460.
- Webb, Matilda (2001). The Churches and Catacombs of Early Christian Rome. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press. p. 41. ISBN 1-902210-57-3.
- Lenski, Noel (2006). The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine. Cambridge: ISBN 0-521-52157-2.
- Stato della Città del Vaticano (2009). "Arcibasilica Papale Di San Giovanni In Laterano" (in Italian). Holy See. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
External links
- High-resolution virtual tour of Saint John Lateran, from the Vatican.
- Satellite Photo of Saint John Lateran
- Constantine's obelisk
- San Giovanni in Laterano
- High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images of Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran | Art Atlas Archived 21 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- Interactive Nolli Map Website
- "Beggar's Rome" - A self-directed virtual tour of St. John Lateran Basilica and other Roman churches