Lateran

Lateran refers to a historical area and related institutions in Rome, centrally connected with the early and ongoing life of the Roman Catholic Church. The term stems from the Latin Palatium Lateranum, the palace complex that stood in the Laterani district beside the basilica that bears the name. In common usage, the name Most often denotes the Basilica of Saint John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano) and the adjacent Lateran Palace, which together formed a major center of papal administration for many centuries.

The Basilica of Saint John Lateran is the oldest church in Rome and the official cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Founded in the 4th century, it has long been regarded as the “mother church” of the Catholic Church and is counted among Rome’s four ancient major basilicas. It serves as the ecclesiastical seat of the pope and the Holy See in its capacity as the principal church of the diocese of Rome, distinct from St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

The Lateran Palace, historically the principal residence and administrative seat of the popes, stood next to the basilica and played a central role in the governance of the Papal States until the papal residence moved to the Vatican in later centuries. The surrounding area is also known for features such as the Lateran Obelisk, an ancient Egyptian obelisk transported to Rome and placed in the Lateran Square by Pope Sixtus V in 1589. It remains one of Rome’s prominent historic monuments.

In modern history, the term Lateran is associated with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, in which the Kingdom of Italy established Vatican City as an independent sovereign state and recognized the Holy See’s religious autonomy, resolving the longstanding Roman Question and shaping the modern relationship between the Italian state and the Catholic Church.