ARCHBASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN, Square

Hi, I'm Gale, your personal guide. Together with MyWoWo, I'd like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world.

Today I'll accompany you through the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, which is one of the most beautiful churches in Rome and also one of the city's most sacred places!

Welcome to the "Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World", as the grandiose basilica of St. John Lateran is often called. This marvel of art and architecture is more than 1700 years old: it was erected by Emperor Constantine immediately after the famous edict of the year 313 where he granted freedom of worship to all religions, beginning with Christianity.

For over a thousand years, before the Papal headquarters was moved to the Vatican, St. John Lateran was the heart of Christianity. The Basilica, Baptistery, Papal Palace, and Chapel of the Sancta Sanctorum form a complex of extraordinary historical and artistic significance....