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ROME
Churches
San Giovanni in Laterano (Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano)
San Giovanni in Laterano is the Roman cathedral. The Pope is its bishop. It was built according to the desires of the pontefex Melchiade in the fourth century on a piece of land belonging to the Planzi Laterani family. It was first consecrated to Christ the Redeemer and only later to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. Often damaged by earthquakes and fires, it has repeatedly been rebuilt and embellished.
Of special note is the intervention of Borromini, who in 1650 completely renovated it for the Giubilee, according to the wishes of Innocent X. The eighteenth-century facade, including the doorway with its five entrances to the basilica, is by the architect Alessandro Galilei.
The inside, with five naves, is richly decorated by Borromini. There are thirteenth-century tombs and mosaics, a thirteenth-century gothic tabernacle and precious frescoes. The adjacent cloister, decorated by a pair of mosaic columns, is the work of Jacopo and Pietro Vassalletto.
The Baptistry is also interesting. It was built for Constantine, then rebuilt in the fifth century and completely redesigned in 1637. It has an eight-sided plan and a barrier in the center composed of two lines of columns that hold up the dome.
The baptismal font is in green basalt, while its seventeenth century cover is in gold-plated bronze.
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