letrën

Letrán, or Lateran, refers to a historic complex in Rome anchored by the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) and the adjacent Lateran Palace. The complex lies at the edge of the ancient city center and is one of the oldest and most important ecclesiastical sites in the Catholic Church. The Archbasilica serves as the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and is the official ecclesiastical seat of the pope as Bishop of Rome.

Historically, the site was developed in the early 4th century after Constantine legalized Christianity, and the basilica was established around 324–335. The Lateran Palace served as the popes’ residence and administrative center for many centuries, and pontiffs resided there until the move to the Vatican. In 1929, the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and the Italian state recognized Vatican City as an independent sovereign entity, while the Lateran complex remained a central liturgical and ceremonial site.

Notable features of the complex include the interior chapel known as the Cathedra Petri, a sculpture associated with the pope’s teaching authority; the Scala Santa, a staircase traditionally climbed on the knees; the adjacent Baptistery; and the Lateran Obelisk in the square in front of the basilica, one of Rome’s tallest ancient obelisks, relocated there in the late 16th century by Pope Sixtus V.

Today the Lateran remains a major pilgrimage site and a focal point of Catholic ceremonial life. The archbasilica continues to host liturgies and papal ceremonies when the pope is in Rome, and it remains the principal church of the pope’s diocese.