From Saint John to Saint Peter,
the Church on the move

A one day guided tour that will lead you through three symbols of Rome and Christianity, rich of history and profound meaning, such as the Lateran Complex, the Vatican Museums, and St. Peter's Basilica. Unique symbols of the religious, historical and artistic heritage of the Eternal City that ideally retrace the steps of the processional route that, after the election of the new Pope, used to move from Saint Peter's Basilica to Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, to take possession of the chair of Bishop of Rome.

A one-day tour that will leave a deep mark in your heart.

Description of the itinerary

 

The Lateran Palace

The Lateran Apostolic Palace was built by Pope Sixtus V Peretti at the end of 1500 on the area of the ancient Patriarchate that during thousand years, starting from the fourth century, was the main residence of the Popes and the Papal Court.

A true sacred citadel built next to the Basilica dedicated to the Blessed Saviour and to Saints John the Baptist and Evangelist, today known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The Palace is a unique witness of the ideal of Renaissance beauty that inspired the action of a great Pontiff like Sixtus V, here and throughout Rome during his papacy.

It houses several rooms of great historical and artistic importance, frescoed with abundance of details and rich in paintings and precious tapestries, such as the Hall of Glory, the Hall of Constantine, the Hall of th Popes and the Conciliation Hall, also known for the historic event of the signing of the Lateran Pacts between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy in 1929.

 

Saint John Lateran Basilica

Saint John Lateran Basilica was the first Christian church in the West built after the Edict of Constantine in 313 AD, and for this reason considered "mother and head of all the churches of Rome and the world". It is, in fact, the Cathedral of Rome and see of its Bishop, the Pontiff. A masterpiece of art and architecture, transformed over the centuries by great architects such as Borromini and Galileo.

In the central nave we are welcomed by the wonderful large statues of the 12 apostles, witnesses to the apostolic succession of the Catholic Church. The beautiful Gothic canopy placed above the main altar protects two precious silver busts that guard the relics of Saints Peter and Paul. In the apse we will admire the great mosaic of Christ surrounded by Saints and Angels, masterpiece of Roman art of the thirteenth century, restored at the end of 1800. The superb apse mosaic crowns the majestic Chair that confers on the newly elected Pontiff the authority of successor of Peter and Pastor of the universal Church.

Saint John Lateran Cloister

Located on the left side of the Basilica, and built in the 13th century by the Vassalletto family, it is a fine example of medieval Roman art, and one of the largest cloisters in Rome. A space delimited by columns with beautiful ornamental motifs that collects in its porches ancient marble finds related to the life of the Church through the centuries. This cloister, once place of prayer and meditation for the clergy of the Basilica, offers to those who visit it today, a moment of great peace and recollection.

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, the Vatican Museums host a vast collection of works of art gathered by the Popes over the centuries ranging from classical antiquity to the Renaissance, up to contemporary art. The countless sections of the museum such as the Pinacoteca, the Museo Pio Clementino, the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms and many others are home to a vast collection of masterpieces of art that prepare us the authentic heart of this museum complex: the Sistine Chapel.

Mostly known for the works of Michelangelo, such as the Vault dedicated to the Stories of Genesis and the sublime Last Judgment over the back wall of the room, the Sistine Chapel is also the place where the Conclave to elect the new Pope takes place.

Saint Peter's Basilica

Built around 320 AD by the Emperor Constantine, Saint Peter's Basilica is the ideal center of Christianity. The heart of the Basilica is solemnly decorated by the impressive canopy: conceived by the great artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, it highlights the so-called Confession, the burial place of the Apostle Peter martyred in the Circus of Nero once situated in this area. In the Basilica and in the below Grottoes are buried over 90 Popes, successors of Saint Peter.

The greatest artists such as Michelangelo, Bernini and Raffaello left the highest testimonies of sacred art in the Basilica. Especially, in the first chapel on the right, we find the Pietà by Michelangelo, one of the most famous and admired sculptures in the world, where Mary, portrayed in her youth, carries on her knees the dead Son, destined for Resurrection.

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