Lateran Seminar

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The basilica of St. John Lateran was founded in the fourth century by the Emperor Constantine as the first public Christian church; and for the first 1000 years of Christian history, until construction of the St. Peter's and Vatican city commenced in the 15th century, it was the seat of the Catholic religion. Our walking seminar begins in the basilica, which was redecorated by Francesco Borromini and contains many precious art works (a fresco by Giotto, for example) and wealth of religious history.

We move from here to the papal history museum of the Lateran Palace, which contains among other items some of the tapestries and vestments used by the Church throughout the centuries. We end by visiting the "Scala Sancta" or Holy Stairs, traditionally believed to have been the stairs Jesus walked up to visit Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, and which were brought to Rome by Constantine's mother the Empress Helena. For many centuries this was the spot most visited by pilgrims who would climb the

The basilica of St. John Lateran was founded in the fourth century by the Emperor Constantine as the first public Christian church; and for the first 1000 years of Christian history, until construction of the St. Peter's and Vatican city commenced in the 15th century, it was the seat of the Catholic religion. Our walking seminar begins in the basilica, which was redecorated by Francesco Borromini and contains many precious art works (a fresco by Giotto, for example) and wealth of religious history.

We move from here to the papal history museum of the Lateran Palace, which contains among other items some of the tapestries and vestments used by the Church throughout the centuries. We end by visiting the "Scala Sancta" or Holy Stairs, traditionally believed to have been the stairs Jesus walked up to visit Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, and which were brought to Rome by Constantine's mother the Empress Helena. For many centuries this was the spot most visited by pilgrims who would climb the stairs on their knees.

If there is time we may also visit the baptistry of the basilica, one of the oldest such structures in the world, or the cloister gardens.