What is the highest ranking church in the world which at the same time holds the title of ecumenical mother church? If your answer is ‘Duh, St. Peter’s Basilica’, then you are absolutely, undoubtedly incorrect. Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano translated Basilica of St. John Lateran, is the oldest and highest ranking of the four papal basilicas and all Roman Catholic churches in the world. Your next question may be, ‘…then if so, why is it not as famous as St. Peter’s? ‘ Looking across the desert of time, for many centuries after the year 324, it held the same renown as St. Peter’s. It was in this year that Pope Sylvester I presided over the official dedication of the Basilica. On the main door is incised the title, ‘ Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head’. The Basilica is actually a part of the entire complex accompanied by the Lateran Palace, the latter given to the Bishop of Rome by Constantine I.
In 1309, the currents of change saw a shift in papal residency to Avignon, France and the Basilica and the palace started to decay. One factor was the two major fires which ravaged the buildings, rendering any attempts to restore the palace and basilica to its former splendor virtually impossible. For this reason, at the end of the Avignon papacy when the residence for the Pope was once again Rome, the basilica was deemed inadequate. After the construction of the Vatican Palace, this became and still to this day the official residence of the Pope. To go into the numerous architectural and historical details, could not be done on this page. It is sufficient to say that no trip to Rome is complete without at least a wander inside this church. Borromini played and integral role in the renovation of the interior, creating twelve niches in which stand statues of the twelve apostles. The facade completed in 1735 by Alessandro Galilei, is in a neo-classical style as Galilei strayed from the traditional ancient basilica architecture.
The churhc is located in the colourful and typically Roman neighbourhood of San Giovanni, which is filled with more traditional restaurants and century old establishments. Hotel Bled, Hotel Daniela and Hotel Edera are all located close by.
Second day