Laterano

Laterano is the Italian toponym for the area around the Archbasilica of Saint John in the Lateran, a historic district in Rome. The name derives from the Latin Latranus, referring to the Lateran Hill and the locality where the papal complex developed.

The Archbasilica of Saint John in Laterano, also called the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, is one of the oldest churches in Western Christendom and the official cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Consecrated in the 4th century under Constantine, it remains the primary church of the Catholic Church and the seat, or cathedra, of the pope. It is traditionally counted among Rome’s four major papal basilicas.

The Lateran Palace, located near the basilica, served as the primary residence of the popes for much of the Middle Ages and into the early modern period. The papal court and many important liturgical functions originated there. The complex hosted several ecumenical councils, notably the First Lateran Council in 1123 and the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.

In modern times, the term Lateran is linked to the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which established Vatican City as an independent state and defined the sovereignty of the Holy See within the Italian state; the treaty was negotiated at the Lateran Palace.

Today, the Lateran area remains a major religious and historical site in Rome, attracting visitors and pilgrims and serving as the ceremonial seat of the pope for liturgical functions and acts of governance within the Catholic Church.