(9) Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano - Visit the huge church that was once the political center of Christian Rome.

Travel in Rome] (9) Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano - Visit to the huge church that was once the political center of Christian Rome

From this article I will talk about the Christian Church in Rome.

The first one I would like to introduce is the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano (hereafter referred to as Laterano Basilica), located on the south side of Rome.

Although the Cathedral of Laterano is a church located a little far from the center of Rome's tourist attractions such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Piazza di Spagna, it is very important in terms of Roman Catholic history.

When we think of Roman Catholicism, we tend to think of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, but in fact, until the Middle Ages, the political center of Roman Catholicism was this Laterano Cathedral. Moreover, it was the first cathedral built in Rome.

Now, as usual, let's listen to Masumi Ishinabe's explanation. First, let us look at the origin of this cathedral. You will be surprised at the connection with Emperor Constantine, who built this cathedral.

Origin of Laterano Cathedral

The Emperor Constantine, along with Augustus and Nero, is perhaps the most famous of all Roman emperors. The reason is that he accomplished the following significant undertakings. First, he restored the confusion after Diocletian's abdication and reunited the empire; second, he officially recognized Christianity with the Edict of Milan in 313; and third, he moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople. Therefore, he was not only an unforgettable figure in the history of Christianity, but also an important person who determined the subsequent fate of Rome, a great "benefactor" and a heartless "traitor. Therefore, in visiting Christian Rome, I would like to dedicate the first passage to him.

Constantine was born in today's Yugoslavia and inherited one of the imperial titles of the Western Empire, the Kuchma Empire, which had been divided into four parts by the Emperor Diocletian. But in 312, he marched into Italy. On October 28, at the famous Battle of Milvius Bridge, he defeated Maxentius, who had shared the imperial throne of the Western Empire, and returned triumphantly to Rome. According to tradition, on the eve of the battle of Milvius Bridge, Constantine received a revelation from the cross that said, "Thou shalt be victorious by this sign," and he converted to Christianity after winning the battle as he said. This tradition is widely known and has been the subject of many works of art, such as the wall paintings in Arezzo by Piero della Francesca.

Regardless of the veracity of this tradition, it is said that as early as that winter, Emperor Constantine intended to make Rome a Christian city and planned to build a cathedral for the bishop of Rome. It is said that about one-third of the population of Rome was Christian or had some understanding of Christianity, but since most of them were from the lower and middle classes, they had only a few "meeting places" as we would call them today. It must have been literally revolutionary for Christians to have their faith not only recognized by the emperor but also to have a huge cathedral built on the scale of the emperor.

Thus was built what is today the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, dedicated to Christ the Savior. This cathedral, which commemorates the triumph of Christianity, has been rebuilt several times, as will be described in detail in the following chapters, so the present building is not the same as the original. However, the fact that it was the first cathedral built in Rome is undeniable, and it continues to be the Cathedral of Rome.

Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanAs Long as St. Peter's Stands: My Guide to Rome.p141-142

Emperor Constantine is known for moving the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople (now Istanbul). (For more on this, see the following article I wrote on my trip four years ago.)

The emperor Constantine officially recognized Christianity in 313 and built many cathedrals in the Roman Empire. The first cathedral was the Lateran Cathedral.

Masumi Ishinabe continues as follows This is a very interesting commentary that shows the connection with St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Laterano Cathedral, the political center and St. Peter's Basilica, the prayer center

However, when I first visited the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, I had a question. How could such an important cathedral be located on the outskirts of the city? In every city in Italy, the cathedral usually occupies the best location in the city, either in the center or on the highest point of the city. It seemed strange to me, considering this. This question has been smoldering in my mind for a long time, but I finally found a satisfactory answer some time ago.

In short, even the emperor Constantine could not build a Christian cathedral in the center of the city due to resistance from the ruling class, which was predominantly pagan. The emperor therefore decided to give the bishop a building on his property and to build a cathedral on the site where the barracks of Maxentius' Kingsguard had been located. In other words, the location of Laterano, outside the center of the city, was a reflection of the political position of the emperor Constantine. Worse, after the Middle Ages, the Roman city center was moved to the lowlands near the Tiber River. This made the cathedral of Laterano even more distant and inconvenient. Moreover, since Laterano was only an artificially chosen site where a cathedral was not inevitable, the cathedral never became familiar to the people of Rome, even though the Papal Palace was located next to it.

In addition to the Cathedral of Laterano, Emperor Constantine had another important cathedral constructed. This was St. Peter's Basilica, built in the Vatican, where St. Peter's tomb was located. In ancient Rome, it was forbidden for anyone to build a tomb within the city limits, so Peter's tomb was naturally located outside the city walls. Peter's tomb was outside the city walls, and a shrine was built at the tomb, which had already become the largest pilgrimage site for Christians at that time. On top of the tomb, a huge cathedral dedicated to St. Peter was built. If Rome qualifies as a Christian holy place, it is because it is the land of martyrs, especially St. Peter and St. Paul. Therefore, it was not surprising that people in the Middle Ages, who had a special respect for the martyrs, visited St. Peter's Basilica as the ultimate destination on their pilgrimage to Rome and paid homage to the tomb of St. Peter. Thus, pilgrim lodges of various countries were established around St. Peter's Basilica, and as a result, a new town called Borgo was established. The Vatican was constantly bustling with pilgrims, while Laterano seemed deserted.

Thus, the Christian capital of Rome had two centers: Laterano, the "political center," so to speak, with the Papal Palace, and the Vatican, the "center of faith. The dispute over which of these two should prevail continued throughout the Middle Ages. The controversy was settled when the Pope returned from Avignon in 1377 and settled in the Vatican, followed by the construction of the Vatican Palace during the Renaissance period. In 1929, the Pope and Muttsurini signed the Treaty of Laterano, which gave birth to the Vatican City State, which is still part of the Vatican City State today. The duality of Christian Rome that continues to this day can be traced back to the projects of Emperor Constantine.

Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanAs Long as St. Peter's Stands: My Guide to Rome.p143-144

It is very interesting to note that even Roman emperors were not free to build cathedrals. The conflict between the emperor and the aristocrats is often depicted in Shakespeare's plays, and the relationship between the emperor and the aristocrats was so tense. This is why Constantine had the background to leave Rome and move the capital to Constantinople.

It is also important to note that St. Peter's Basilica was built at the same time as the Laterano Basilica.

The current St. Peter's Basilica was rebuilt during the Renaissance and looks completely different from the one in Constantine's time. However, its roots are still in the reign of Emperor Constantine.

And this transfer of the capital by the emperor Constantine would create another "gap".

The "gap" between ancient Rome and Christian Rome

Constantine was the emperor who abandoned Rome and thereby cast a decisive shadow over the fate of Rome. In 326, he broke with the Roman Senate and never returned to Rome, finally returning to Byzantium (Constantinople, now Istanbul) in 330.

Already from the time of Diocletian, Rome was no longer, in effect, functioning as the "Caputo Mundi" (world capital). But with the transfer of the capital to Constantinople, its decline became decisive. Deprived of being the "city of the emperor," Kuchma had to go through the difficult path of becoming the "city of St. Peter" and the "city of the pope.

These major social changes triggered changes in the city of Rome itself. In other words, the citizens of Kuchma, whose water supply and other facilities were destroyed by the barbarians in the midst of their decline, abandoned their former residential areas represented by the "Seven Hills" and came to live in the newly developed area near the Tiber River, called Campo Marzio. They began to drink water from the Tiber instead of the abundant supply of tap water, thus shifting the center of the city of Rome. Thus, the Cambidoglio Hill, which in ancient times could only be climbed from the Roman Forum, gradually began to face toward St. Peter's Basilica. Meanwhile, the once bustling ancient city center became a quarry, then a ruin, then a countryside.

Thus, the duality of Christian Rome, and between the ancient center and the post-medieval center.slippage,,The emergence of the "Roman Empire" can be traced back to the projects of the Emperor Constantine. If the sincere traveler to Rome feels confused, that Rome is an elusive city with no clear center, it must be said that the great emperor is partly to blame.

Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanAs Long as St. Peter's Stands: My Guide to Rome.p145-146

Transfer of the capital to Constantinople, destruction by barbarians. The disappearance of the empire. Various factors led to the decline of Rome. The Roman Catholic Church took over for the Roman Empire, which had lost its governing structure. If someone did not unite Rome as a nation, it would become a lawless zone. It was against this background that the Roman Catholic Church became more and more powerful as a state. Without understanding this background, it is difficult to understand why the Roman Catholic religion was so powerful in Europe. Roman Catholicism was more than a religion; it was a national institution. Because it was a state institution, its principle of action was more political than that of a mere religion. We modern Japanese may wonder why Roman Catholics were involved in politics to such an extent. However, if it were a political organization itself, we would have a different view of it.

Of course, there is also the aspect of it being a religion of prayer; it is not that it was 100% a political institution. It is a religion of politics, economics, world affairs, culture, and many other factors. I would like to emphasize that.

And as the commentary above shows, people began to live in areas closer to the river rather than in the devastated Foro Romano.(4) The Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, an iconic Roman structure overlooking the Roman Forum."This is also the connection with the Campidoglio, which was previously introduced in the article "The Campidoglio" in the previous section.

Rome's history is complex. It is not simply a city of the ancient Roman Empire, nor is it a Roman Catholic city. It is a complex combination of all kinds of things. The Laterano Cathedral is one of the symbolic buildings.

Visit the Laterano Cathedral

Having learned the history of the Lateran Cathedral, I also entered this cathedral. The present cathedral has been restored and remodeled so many times that there is little evidence of Constantine's time.

Compared to St. Peter's Basilica, the entrance is more modest or simple.

Finally, we entered the interior of the cathedral. The huge columns came into view as soon as we entered. The white base color gives a sophisticated atmosphere. The colors are completely different from those of the golden St. Peter's Basilica.

The interior of the cathedral was extensively repaired and reconstructed by Borromini in 1650. Borromini's genius was a rival to that of Bernini, the King of the Baroque, and the Basilica of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, designed by Borromini, is considered one of Rome's greatest architectural masterpieces.

This is the Basilica of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Borromini, and indeed, I think that this Laterano Basilica also shows Borromini's character. I will write more about this cathedral in another article.

Walking from the side aisles to the center, I found an overwhelming space.

The chapel is based on the color white, and sculptures protrude from the pillars. The contrast between the brownish color of the central altar and the ceiling and the white base color was extremely beautiful. I instantly fell in love with this cathedral.

We came to the area of the central altar. It has a different charm from that of St. Peter's Basilica.

Photo taken from the central altar looking back. The rectangular space and the sculptures that seem to jump out from the walls give a sense of power.

The dome further behind the central altar. The chair in front is probably the bishop's throne. In St. Peter's Basilica, it is the Cathedra Petri. The warm colors of this space are very comfortable. I feel the designer's aesthetics in that it is not decorated with gilded splendor. This may have something to do with the fact that this church is a place of politics rather than a place for pilgrims to pray.

Each sculpture is dynamic and wonderful. It is a reminder of the heyday of Baroque art.

I stood right next to the pillars to see how these sculptures jumped out. You can clearly see this by looking at the left foreground of the photo.

There is a dramatic effect here that seems to come close to the hearts of those who visit the shrine. It is difficult to convey this effect from the flat surface of a photograph, but if you experience it on site, you cannot help but be amazed at its power. It is very rare to see a church with this kind of structure.

Personally, I prefer this church. It is a church where one can feel Borromini's genius. Masumi Ishinabe also praised it highly. Although it is a little far from the center of Rome's tourist attractions, it is a wonderful church that is worth seeing. Why don't you visit it?

*The list of articles in the "Rome Travel Journal" can be found atCategory page hereindicates direction or goal (e.g. "to")

*Please visit this category page for recommended books to learn about Rome and Italy.
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism."
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution in Knowledge."

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