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Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Cathedral)

Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Cathedral) historical timeline

Last updated on October 4, 2026

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A confiscated private estate, then a cavalry barracks, then the first public church in Rome — rebuilt after sackings, fires and an abandonment.

Chronology

Roman Republic and Empire — the site belongs to the gens Laterani, who give the whole area its name. Sextius Lateranus was the first plebeian to attain the rank of consul, and the family served as administrators for several emperors. Structural impact: a great private estate. What you see today: the name of the basilica, the palace, the square and the treaty.
AD 65 — Turismo Roma records that Tacitus, in the Annals, relates how the Laterani's houses and lands were confiscated by Nero after the Pisonian conspiracy: the consul Plautius Lateranus conspired, failed, and was condemned to death and stripped of his goods in favour of the imperial treasury. Structural impact: the land passes to the emperors. What you see today: the reason an emperor had it to give away.
AD 193 — Septimius Severus uses part of the land to build the Castra Nova equitum singularium, the New Fort of the imperial cavalry bodyguards. Structural impact: a large military complex on the site. What you see today: substantial remains directly beneath the nave.
312 — Constantine defeats Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. Turismo Roma gives the tradition of a dream the night before, in which an angel bore a cross inscribed In hoc signo vinces, and records that Constantine had the phrase painted on his soldiers' shields. Because the horse guard had fought for Maxentius, it is abolished and its fort demolished. Structural impact: the barracks come down and the ground is clear. What you see today: the foundations under the church.
313 — Constantine recognises freedom of worship for Christianity and gives Pope Miltiades the land on which to build a domus ecclesia. Structural impact: the site becomes church property. What you see today: the oldest public church in Rome, on the spot.
314–324 — the basilica is built and consecrated, and the sources differ. Turismo Roma: built by Constantine around 314, consecrated in 324, or 318, by Pope Sylvester I, who dedicated it to the Most Holy Saviour. The reference work: founded in 324, and the oldest basilica in the Western world. Structural impact: a building for public assembly and the administration of justice becomes a church large enough for a congregation. What you see today: the plan, and the title.
455 — the Vandals of Genseric strip the church of all its treasures. Structural impact: the fabric survives, the contents do not. What you see today: nothing from before this date inside.
9th century — Leo III rebuilds the ceilings and decorates the apse windows with polychrome glass. In the same century, Pope Sergius III also dedicates the basilica to Saint John the Baptist. Structural impact: a new roof. What you see today: the first of the two Johns in the name.
12th century — Pope Lucius II adds Saint John the Evangelist to the dedication. Structural impact: none. What you see today: why a church dedicated to Christ the Saviour is called Saint John's.
Late 13th century — Boniface VIII builds a new benediction loggia, decorated with frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue, today lost. Structural impact: a papal balcony over the square. What you see today: the absence — the single greatest loss on this site.
14th century — the building deteriorates and is badly damaged by two fires. Structural impact: the early Christian basilica is effectively destroyed. What you see today: why almost nothing above the floor is ancient.
1378 — with Gregory XI's election and the return of the papacy from Avignon, the Lateran, in very poor condition, is abandoned for the Vatican. Structural impact: the popes move out after a thousand years. What you see today: the reason the cathedral of Rome is not where the pope lives.
1426–1447 — Martin V remakes the pavement and commissions paintings from Gentile da Fabriano and Pisanello; Eugene IV then makes important architectural and structural changes. Structural impact: the shell is stabilised. What you see today: the structure Borromini later worked from.
Late 16th century — the basilica is rebuilt during the reign of Sixtus V. Structural impact: a wholesale reconstruction. What you see today: the building Borromini remodelled.
1600 — for the Jubilee, Clement VIII renews the transept and the altar of the Most Holy Sacrament to a design by Giacomo della Porta. Structural impact: the crossing is rebuilt. What you see today: the transept.
1650 — Borromini completely rebuilds the central nave and the side aisles, working from Eugene IV's changes. Structural impact: the piers are consolidated into bays with giant niches. What you see today: the interior, all of it.
1660 — Alexander VII has the bronze leaves of the ancient Roman Curia transferred from Sant'Adriano al Foro Romano. Structural impact: the main door of the cathedral of Rome becomes the door of the Senate House. What you see today: the central portal, which you push open to go in.
18th century — the facade is finally completed with Alessandro Galilei's new front, the reference work dating its completion to 1735 under Clement XII, and the statues of the twelve Apostles are placed in Borromini's niches. Structural impact: the building gets a face. What you see today: the front, and the inscription naming Clement XII.
1929 — under the Lateran Treaty, the archbasilica and its adjoining buildings, as properties of the Holy See, acquire extraterritorial status from Italy. Structural impact: none. What you see today: a Vatican enclave four kilometres from the Vatican.
20th century — during restoration of the cosmatesque pavement, the remains of the ancient barracks of the equites singulares are found. Structural impact: the site's oldest layer is identified. What you see today: the floor, and what is under it.
2000 — for the great Jubilee, the new Holy Door is inaugurated, the work of the sculptor Floriano Bodini (1933–2005). Structural impact: a new door in an old wall. What you see today: the most recent thing on the facade.

Verified against Turismo Roma, October 2026.

External resources

Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Turismo Roma — Turismo Roma records that the basilica stands near the Caelian hill on the same site as the basilica erected by Constantine around 314, on land that already belonged to the noble Laterani family, from whom the whole area takes its name — where the reference work gives the foundation simply as 324, Turismo Roma records that in his Annals Tacitus relates how the houses and lands of the Laterani were confiscated by the Emperor Nero after the Pisonian conspiracy, the consul Plautius Lateranus having conspired unsuccessfully against Nero, who condemned him to death and stripped him of his goods and lands in favour of the imperial treasury, Turismo Roma records that the Emperor Septimius Severus used part of the confiscated Lateran land to build a great military complex called the Castra nova equitum singularium, the New Barracks of the elite guards, Turismo Roma records that in 312 Constantine defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge after a dream the night before in which an angel bore a cross inscribed In hoc signo vinces, and that he had the phrase painted on his soldiers' shields; that in 313 he recognised freedom of worship for Christianity; and that he gave Pope Miltiades the land on which to build a domus ecclesia, Turismo Roma records that the basilica was consecrated in 324, or 318, by Pope Sylvester I, who dedicated it to the Most Holy Saviour; that in the 9th century Pope Sergius III also dedicated it to Saint John the Baptist; and that in the 12th century Pope Lucius II added Saint John the Evangelist, Turismo Roma records that in 455 the Vandals of Genseric stripped the church of all its treasures, and that at the beginning of the 9th century Leo III rebuilt the ceilings of the basilica and decorated the windows of the apse with polychrome glass, Turismo Roma records that at the end of the 13th century Boniface VIII had a new benediction loggia built at the Lateran, decorated with frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue, today lost, Turismo Roma records that in 1378, with the election of Gregory XI and the return of the papacy to Rome after the Avignon interlude, the Lateran, in very poor condition, was abandoned for the Vatican, Turismo Roma records that between 1426 and 1431 Pope Martin V had the pavement remade and commissioned paintings from Gentile da Fabriano and Pisanello, and that between 1431 and 1447 Pope Eugene IV had important architectural and structural changes made, on which Borromini relied in 1650 to rebuild the central nave and the side aisles completely, Turismo Roma records that in 1660 Pope Alexander VII had the bronze leaves of the ancient Roman Curia transferred from the church of Sant'Adriano al Foro Romano, and that these today form the great central portal of the basilica, Turismo Roma records that in the 18th century the facade of the basilica was finally completed with the new front by Alessandro Galilei, and the statues of the twelve Apostles were placed in Borromini's great niches, Turismo Roma records that in the 20th century, during the restoration of the cosmatesque pavement of the basilica, the remains of the ancient barracks of the equites singulares were found, Turismo Roma records that for the Jubilee of 1600 Clement VIII renewed the transept and the altar of the Most Holy Sacrament to a design by Giacomo della Porta, and that for the great Jubilee of 2000 the new Holy Door was inaugurated, the work of the sculptor Floriano Bodini, who lived from 1933 to 2005 (October 2026).
Checked against Wikipedia — The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran is the oldest of the four major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome; founded in 324, it is the oldest public church in the city of Rome and the oldest basilica in the Western world, it houses the cathedra of the Roman bishop, and it has the title of ecumenical mother church of the Catholic faithful, The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran deteriorated during the Middle Ages and was badly damaged by two fires in the 14th century; it was rebuilt in the late 16th century during the reign of Pope Sixtus V, the new structure's interior was renovated in the late 17th century, and its facade was completed in 1735 under Pope Clement XII, The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran stands over the remains of the Castra Nova equitum singularium, the New Fort of the Roman imperial cavalry bodyguards, established by Septimius Severus in AD 193; following Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge the guard, which had fought for Maxentius, was abolished and the fort demolished, and substantial remains of the fort lie directly beneath the nave, The place name Laterano comes from an ancient Roman family whose palace grounds occupied the site; Sextius Lateranus was the first plebeian to attain the rank of consul, and the Laterani served as administrators for several emperors (October 2026).

Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Cathedral) historical timeline

Chronology

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