Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano — known in English as Saint John Lateran Basilica — is one of the five great ancient basilicas of Rome. The Catholic Church counts among them St. Lawrence outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, St. Peter and St. Paul outside the Walls. Originally called Basilica Salvatoris and Archbasilica of the Holy Savior, it is the oldest and ranks first among the great basilicas. It holds the title of ecumenical motherchurch among Catholics as it is the cathedral church of the popes.

Reconstruction

There were several attempts at reconstruction of the basilica before Pope Sixtus V's definitive project. Sixtus hired his favorite architect Domenico Fontana to oversee much of the project. Further renovation of the interior ensued under the direction of Francesco Borromini, commissioned by Pope Innocent X. The vision of Pope Clement XII for reconstruction was an ambitious one: he launched a competition to design a new façade. The winner of the competition was Alessandro Galilei. The façade as it appears today was completed in 1735. Galilei's façade however removed all vestiges of traditional ancient basilica architecture.

Related Topics:
Domenico Fontana - Francesco Borromini - Pope Innocent X - Pope Clement XII - 1735

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