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All 921 Rome Attractions »

San Giovanni in Laterano

Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano 4, Rome, Italy
39 6 6988 6433
Ranked #3 of 490 attractions in Rome
4.5 of 5 stars 422 Reviews
Type: Religious Sites, Historic Sites, Churches/ Cathedrals
Description: Known to be the first church in Christendom, this church belongs to the Vatican and has the privileges of extraterritoriality.
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422 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Heidelberg
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 May 2012 NEW

San Giovanni in Laterano is THE official Cathedral of Rome. The architecture is truly breath-taking. The statues make you feel like you are in the presence of greatness and the mosiacs are just OUT OF THIS WORLD. The Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs) right across the street and are truly a humbling experience. If you have the time definitely climb the... More

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See 5 more reviews by AmazingGrace_23 for Rome
Geelong, Australia
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 May 2012 NEW

One of the Roman churches you must visit. A very large but superbly maintained church. A lot of gold glistening in the afternoon sunshine More

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San Jose, California
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 May 2012 NEW

A beautiful church. Rich in history. I think this is where Constantine established the first Christian Church and where previous Popes stayed (before the Vatican/ St Peter's). It's called the Mother of Churches. One of the highlights in our trip. Highly recommend More

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See 6 more reviews by Exodus1523 for Rome
Laguna Niguel, California
Senior Contributor
41 reviews 41 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
41 helpful votes 41 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 May 2012 NEW

This church is amazing inside but check out the beautifully preserved outer courtyard (small fee) to see some of the best medieval architecture this side of The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. More

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See 7 more reviews by Diverdad1 for Rome
montreal, quebec , canada
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
87 helpful votes 87 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 May 2012 NEW

This basillica is amazing and beautiful. We enjoyed our visit very much. More

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See 6 more reviews by lindadg for Rome
Fair Oaks CA
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
32 helpful votes 32 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 May 2012 NEW

The church is the one the pope attends on holidays. It is large and grand looking but the 12 statues of the apostles are what is worth seeing. We walked from the Colosseum(about 20 minutes). More

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See 4 more reviews by NorCal-traveler08 for Rome
Green Valley, Arizona
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2012 NEW

A must-see for Catholics. It is the site of the original Vatican and contains (maybe!) the skull bones of St Peter and St Paul, and the Holy Stairs nearby are testament to faith. Its location, inside the old city walls, is also interesting. More

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See 5 more reviews by Richard W for Rome
Fairplay, Colorado
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2012 NEW

We know it is a very significant church and quite beautiful, but the primary reason for our trip was archaeology of Rome. More

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See 2 more reviews by Chris C for Rome
Sevilla
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2012

To attend a mass in this wonderful church was a mystic experience! And I´m not a religious person! More

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See 3 more reviews by PetroniaSevilla for Rome
abingdon va
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2012

It is so much larger than I thought and very beautiful. The altar holds the skulls of Peter and Paul. It is a little far from the city center but not from the Colisseum and there is a taxi stand just outside to get back. More

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See 9 more reviews by elliepAbingdonVa for Rome

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