Monday, November 10, 2014

Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

This year, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by taking my sister and I to Italy. We did a guided tour called "Highlights of Italy" which focused on Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan with a few stops in between. It was a beautiful trip, especially for me as an architect but also as a practicing Roman Catholic. The churches we saw, particularly in Rome, were breathtaking.

Yesterday at mass though, I reached a new appreciation for our trip. Yesterday was Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome which is the Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano or the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran. Before this trip, I would not have known this church or maybe even thought twice about what this feast day means. This church is the Basilica of Rome meaning this is the seat where the Pope, who is also the Bishop of Rome, would preside. Clearly, the Pope lives in the Vatican and conducts his business there, but this is the ceremonial seat of the Archdiocese of Rome.

It was very near our hotel, merely a short subway ride away, which is how we found it. We had an extra day in Rome before our guided tour started so we scheduled a trip to the Roman catacombs, the Appian Way and the Roman aquaducts. As we travelled out of Rome, our guide pointed out this church. Following the tour, we took the subway back to see it and am I glad we did! It is a beautiful church full of lots of symbolism.
 
This is the original Roman wall and gate near the Lateran Basilica
 

 
The front of the Lateran Basilica
 

 
The apartments to the side of the main façade would have been for the Pope's apartments when not in residence in the Vatican
 

 
I'm not sure what this side monument is, but I liked it


 
View of the atrium
 

 
The copper doors into the church with my mom as scale figure
 

 
One of the side aisles
 

 
Detail of the flooring


 
View down the nave - note the alcoves with apostles
 

 


 
The alcove for St. Phillip
 

 

 
Alcove for St. Thomas
 

 

 
Pipe organ at the end of the nave
 

 
Half dome at the end of one of the side aisles
 

 
End of a side aisle
 

 
One of the chapels
 

 
The Main Altar
 

 
Da Vinci's Last Supper in Gold over the Altar
 

 
Some Cherubs
 


 
Beautiful Plaster Detail
 

 
Ceiling over the Nave