# Archbasilica of St John Lateran, Rome > The Archbasilica of St John Lateran is Rome's cathedral — older than St Peter's, founded by Constantine around AD 324 and still the seat of the pope as Bishop of Rome. Entry is free and it opens roughly 7:00–18:30. An hour covers the basilica, its baptistery and the Holy Stairs across the square. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica - City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy - YesGo score: 64/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Cloister: ≈ €5, with 13th-century Vassalletto mosaics - Opening hours: ≈ 7:00–18:30 daily - Scala Santa: Across the square, free; the main flight is climbed on your knees - Time needed: 40 minutes, an hour with the Scala Santa and baptistery - Location: Piazza di San Giovanni; Metro A/C San Giovanni, 3 minutes - Coordinates: 41.88591, 12.50616 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **c. AD 324** — founded by Constantine — the oldest of the papal basilicas (source: English Wikipedia) - **Rome's cathedral** — seat of the pope as Bishop of Rome, not St Peter's (source: English Wikipedia) - **1646–1650** — Borromini remodelled the interior for the 1650 Jubilee (source: English Wikipedia) - **1735** — Alessandro Galilei's façade, crowned by 15 statues about 7 m tall (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 32 m** — the Lateran obelisk — Rome's tallest, without its base (source: English Wikipedia) - **28 steps** — of the Scala Santa, said to come from Pilate's palace in Jerusalem (source: English Wikipedia) ## Rome's cathedral, not St Peter's Most visitors assume St Peter's is Rome's cathedral. It isn't: the **cathedral of Rome** is the Lateran, where the **pope's chair as Bishop of Rome** stands. The inscription on the façade calls it the **'mother and head of all churches of the city and the world'**. **Constantine** founded it around **AD 324** on land given to the Church next to the Lateran Palace, where popes lived until the 14th century. It's the oldest of Rome's four papal basilicas, alongside [St Peter's](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica), [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore) and [St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls). ## Inside the basilica **Francesco Borromini** remodelled the nave in **1646–1650**, encasing the ancient columns in massive piers with niches. The niches now hold **twelve marble apostles**, each over 4 metres tall, beneath a gilded 16th-century coffered ceiling. Over the papal altar rises a **Gothic ciborium** from the 14th century, said to hold relics of the heads of Saints Peter and Paul, and the apse has a 13th-century mosaic of Christ. Outside, Galilei's **1735 façade** carries fifteen colossal statues — Christ, the two Saints John and Doctors of the Church — visible from far across the city. ## Around the basilica - **Cloister** — a 13th-century courtyard of twisted columns inlaid with Vassalletto mosaics; small fee. - **Lateran Baptistery** — a 4th-century octagon, the model for baptisteries across Italy. - **Scala Santa** — 28 marble steps across the square, climbed on your knees. - **Sancta Sanctorum** — the popes' private chapel at the top of the stairs, ticketed. - **Lateran Obelisk** — Rome's tallest, from Karnak in Egypt. - **Porta San Giovanni** — a gate in the Aurelian Walls at the south side of the square. ## The Scala Santa Across the piazza is the **Scala Santa**, a flight of **28 steps** that tradition says came from Pontius Pilate's palace in Jerusalem, brought to Rome by Constantine's mother Helena. Pilgrims climb the central flight **only on their knees**, free of charge; side staircases let you walk up normally. At the top is the **Sancta Sanctorum**, the medieval papal chapel, which has a separate ticket. > **Dress code** This is a working cathedral: cover shoulders and knees and remove hats. During Mass visitors are asked to stay out of the central nave. Photos without flash are fine. ## How to get to the Lateran Basilica 1. Metro line A or C to **San Giovanni**; exit by Porta San Giovanni, 3 minutes to the basilica. 2. From the [Colosseum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/colosseum), 15–20 minutes' walk along Via di San Giovanni in Laterano. 3. Tram 3 and buses 81, 85 and 87 stop on Piazza di San Giovanni. 4. From Termini, Metro A two stops, or 25 minutes on foot via Via Merulana. ## Best time to visit The Lateran is far calmer than St Peter's — no security line and far fewer tour groups. Come in the **morning**, when light falls on the apostles in the nave. It pairs naturally with the Colosseum and Santa Maria Maggiore, about 20 minutes' walk away down Via Merulana. ## Is the Lateran Basilica worth it? Yes — especially once you've seen St Peter's. It's just as grand, free, by the metro and refreshingly quiet, and the Scala Santa across the square is one of Rome's most unusual sights. An hour covers everything. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Cover shoulders and knees - [ ] Bring a few euros for the cloister - [ ] Visit the baptistery — separate side entrance - [ ] Cross the square to the Scala Santa - [ ] Walk on to Santa Maria Maggiore via Via Merulana ## Rome's churches: compare and choose Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo. - [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5 - [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15 - [Archbasilica of St John Lateran](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cloister ≈ €5 - [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 - [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free - [Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free - [Church of the Gesù](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-sopra-minerva) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Santa Maria in Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Mouth of Truth](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/bocca-della-verita) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Donation ≈ €2 - [Catacombs of Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €10–12 with guide - [San Pietro in Vincoli](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-pietro-in-vincoli) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Santa Maria della Vittoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-della-vittoria) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Tempietto](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/tempietto) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Santa Sabina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-sabina) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 - [Basilica of San Clemente](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-clemente) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12 ## The papal basilicas in a day Santa Maria Maggiore near Termini in the morning, then a walk to the Lateran and the Scala Santa, and St Paul Outside the Walls after lunch. 1. [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free 2. [Archbasilica of St John Lateran](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cloister ≈ €5 3. [Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free ## Don't mix it up St John Lateran isn't St Peter's: Rome's cathedral is here, while St Peter's stands in the Vatican. Its full name honours Christ the Saviour and both Saints John — the Baptist and the Evangelist. ## Tips - There's rarely any queue to get in. - Borromini's apostles look best in morning light. - The Scala Santa's main flight is climbed on your knees. - Santa Maria Maggiore is 20 minutes' walk away. ## Questions ### Is the Lateran Basilica free? Yes; only the cloister and the Sancta Sanctorum chapel charge. ### Why is St John Lateran the cathedral of Rome? It's the seat of the pope as Bishop of Rome — the 'mother and head of all churches'. ### When was the Lateran Basilica built? Founded by Constantine around AD 324; Borromini rebuilt the interior in 1646–1650 and the façade dates from 1735. ### What are the opening hours? Roughly 7:00–18:30 every day. ### What is the Scala Santa? 28 steps said to come from Pilate's palace in Jerusalem, climbed by pilgrims on their knees. ### How do I get to the Lateran Basilica? Metro A or C to San Giovanni, 3 minutes' walk. ### How long do you need there? 40 minutes, about an hour with the Scala Santa and baptistery. ### Is there a dress code? Yes, shoulders and knees covered. ## How we checked History, architects, obelisk and Scala Santa from English Wikipedia. We couldn't confirm the opening hours and cloister fee on the official site at the time of checking, hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, official website - English Wikipedia, Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran and Scala Santa --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.