St. John Lateran Is Installed
St. John Lateran is a significant basilica in Rome, recognized as the first church and parish of the Roman Catholic Church. Celebrated annually on November 9, this historical site is steeped in rich heritage, named after the noble Plautius Lateranus family, whose palace once occupied the location. The church, originally built between 314 and 318 AD and initially dedicated to the Savior, served as the papal residence for centuries. Following its rededication to St. John due to its proximity to a Benedictine monastery, it has undergone numerous restorations throughout its history, notably after attacks and natural disasters.
Architecturally, St. John Lateran is renowned for its stunning colonnades, frescoes, and mosaics, along with a prominent fountain in its atrium. Importantly, the basilica houses the original wooden altar on which St. Peter is believed to have celebrated Mass, encased in a grander altar structure. Despite containing the tombs of six popes, it has not been the official seat of the papacy since 1305, when the popes relocated to Avignon. After their return to Rome in 1377, the papacy established its permanent residence at the Vatican. St. John Lateran remains a vital symbol of the Catholic Church's history and architectural legacy.
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St. John Lateran Is Installed
St. John Lateran Is Installed
Each year on November 9, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the installation of St. John Lateran, its first church and parish. One of the four major basilicas in Rome, it is named in part for the patrician family of Plautius Lateranus, whose palace once stood on the site. The family's property was confiscated by the Roman government when Plautius was arrested for conspiring against the consul and put to death by the emperor Nero. Constantine received the palace in the dowry of his wife, Fausta, and it was therefore sometimes called Domus Faustæ. Constantine donated it to the church around 311, and a Christian church was built there between about 314 and 318.
For several centuries the church, originally dedicated to the Savior and called Basilica Salvatoris, was the see of Rome, while the palace served as the official residence of the pope. It was rededicated to St. John because it adjoined a Benedictine monastery named for St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The church was restored several times over the years, beginning in 460 shortly after an attack by the Vandals from the north, and then again in the eighth century, and once again after an earthquake destroyed it almost completely in 896. A fire in 1308 prompted its restoration by Clement V, under whose direction it was rebuilt and decorated by the Italian painter and architect Giotto. After another fire destroyed it in 1360, it was rebuilt by Urban V.
The building is famous for its numerous colonnades, frescoes, statues, and mosaics, as well as the fountain in the middle of the front atrium. Although no saint or relic is buried beneath its altar, the altar itself is believed to be the original wooden structure on which St. Peter celebrated Mass. It has been enclosed in a larger altar of stone and then encased in marble, through which one may see part of the original wood. The basilica contains the tombs of six popes, but the church and the palace have not served as the official seat of the Catholic Church since 1305, when the popes began their exile in Avignon. When the papacy returned to Rome in 1377, it settled at the Vatican, where it has been ever since.