On this last day of Lent and the first day of the Holy Triduum, we come back to the Cathedral of Rome for the third time (see First Sunday of Lent and Palm Sunday). The Basilica of St. John Lateran was the first public church in Rome, donated by Emperor Constantine to the Church.
The Lateran Palace next to the basilica has been the residence of popes until the 14th century. When popes returned from Avignon to Rome, the palace had been damaged by fire, with the result that the official papal residence was moved to the Vatican Hill.
Once you go inside the basilica, your eyes will fall on the 12 huge statues of the apostles lining the central nave. Above them you can see paintings of scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
We'll come back here one more time on Holy Saturday.
Stational Churches in Rome
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