I taking you back to Rome for a while. This church as many others for some reason of mine was left out or mix in with other posts,and they should have a post of their own, me think, There are so many old stone to see there with lots of history and architecture features as well. Therefore, let me give them credit and tell you about the Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano of Rome !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
I will be brief just for the memories, there is a lot more on them there and here, These are several left out from my blog for some unexplained reason, Catching up !!!
The Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano, Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano , Constantine built the first basilica in 320. It is the oldest church, the mother of all churches, which inspired and still inspires Christian buildings. San Giovanni in Laterano is the cathedral of Rome, the seat of the bishop of Rome, who is the Pope himself (San Pietro is the church of the Vatican). The church was then rebuilt several times over the course of history, due to earthquakes, looting and fires. From its original version, it has only kept its proportions and a large part of the Baptistery. Rebuilt by Nicholas IV at the end of the 13C, it was burned shortly afterwards in 1308. Rebuilt and decorated by Giotto, the fire hit it again in 1360. In the mid-17C, reconstruction with the addition embellishement of the interior with twelve niches that house the large statues of the apostles. The facade dates back to 1734, the apse and the mosaics were renovated in the late 19C. The interior is 130 meters long. Various relics relating to Christ are preserved there. A small portion of a fresco by Giotto remains, depicting Boniface VIII in the Jubilee of 1300. There is the beautiful cloister, and the Lateran Baptistery near the basilica, which preserves some beautiful early Christian remains. On the piazza del Laterano square stands the high Egyptian obelisk of the 15C BC, coming from Karnak, which at 36 meters, it is the tallest Egyptian obelisk.
The transept is done around 1594, an organ is placed on both sides, on the left the organ of the Blessed Sacrament and on the right the organ of Luca Blasi, the oldest in Rome. There are painted episodes of the life of Constantine. The Corsini Chapel located on the left of the nave, ordered built by the Corsini family, devoted in 1735 and dedicated to Saint André Corsini. The Torlonia Chapel ,surmounted by a vault. The Massimo Chapel Faratina Massimo obtained in 1564 the right of Pius IV to build a chapel for her family. It was done between 1564 and 1570. The cloister was restructured in the 13C under the pontificate of Grégoire IX. The signs of the well at the center date of the Carolingian era. Apart from the Basilica and started at the beginning of the 3C, the baptistery was reworked under Pope Sixtus III in its current octagonal form supported by eight columns in porphyry. which would be that of the Last Supper, in the northern transept, above the columns of the temple of Jupiter Capitolin. You see relics of the head of Saint Peter and Saint Paul de Tarsus transferred on March 2, 1370 by the Pope Urban V in the Ciborium of the Basilica relics of the blessed Innocent V, Tomb of Pope Leon XIII , Tomb of Pope Sylvestre II, and tomb of Martin V.
A bit of history and anecdotes I like tell us that in 1483, King Louis XI donated revenues of Languedoc and Guyenne, including those of the Clairac abbey, to the Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano to allow its restoration. But the conflicts of the papacy with Charles VIII and Louis XII, then the rise of Protestantism in the region, prevented from perceiving these income. On September 22, 1604, King Henri IV confirmed the chapter in his rights and ensured that he was able to affect the revenues of the abbey that was due to it. In return, the chapter erected a statue in the image of the king in the basilica. The basilica attributes to the King of France the title of “first and only honorary canon” of the chapter of the basilica. In addition, it is celebrated a Mass annually for the prosperity of France on December 13, the anniversary of the birth of Henri.In 1729, King Louis XV increased the revenues from the chapter of two priories depending on the Abbey of Clairac. The French revolution abolished these rights in 1791. King Louis XVIII demonstrated his benevolence towards the chapter, and his successor King Charles X granted it in 1825 an annual compensation king Louis-Philippe abolished, In 1849, under Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, the basilica was protected against the revolutionaries by the French army, and the keys were entrusted to the French Embassy in Rome. Having become Napoleon III, and intending to enjoy the rights, privileges, prerogatives and honors that all the sovereigns of France have enjoyed, he restored in 1863 the compensation in the chapter in the form of an annuity and was represented by a clerk. This annuaty was definitively abolished in 1871 by the Third Republic, as well as the title and the stalle, The traditions of the Mass of December 13 and the title of honorary canon awarded to the French head of state will last. The presidents of the French Republic unofficially report this last privilege, at the invitation of the chapter after their election, and maintain cordial or even protective reports with it. Some of those were Charles de Gaulle first president of the Fifth Republic, came to meet Pope Pius XII in Rome in 1959, then was installed at the basilica in 1967. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing visited Pope Paul VI on December 1, 1975, and received his honor canonicate in 1978 under Pope Jean-Paul II. Jacques Chirac came to discreetly take possession of his stall, on the occasion of his state visit to Pope Jean-Paul II on January 19, 1996, Nicolas Sarkozy meets Pope Benedict XVI on January 8, 2010. His enthronement as canon in the basilica is at the origin of a controversy over secularism following a speech where he confirms the Christian roots of France and praise the faith. Emmanuel Macron receives his canon title in the basilica on June 26, 2018.
Another link with France of the Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano is to be emphasized: the presence, on the forecourt of the basilica, of a replica of the slab in honor of the victims of misery, inaugurated in Paris, on the forecourt of human rights , Place du Trocadéro, October 17, 1987, by Father Joseph Wresinski. The Rome’s replica was inaugurated on October 15, 2000, as part of the year of the Grand Jubilee. It takes up, in Italian, the text of the original slab, to which was added a quote from Pope John Paul II: « Never no longer exclusion, discrimination, oppression, contempt for the poor and the little ones. »
The Rome tourist office on the Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/basilica-st-john-lateran
There you go folks, this is Rome, the eternal City. One of the many monuments to visit while in the City, me think. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano of Rome !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 