Tourist Attractions In Rome - The St John In Laterno And University Neighborhoods

The St John in Laterano district is situated in the southeastern corner of Rome

. The Sixteenth Century Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano in the southwestern corner of this lovely district is yet another Roman public square hosting a granite Egyptian obelisk. Theirs is the tallest in all Rome, originally brought to Rome in the Fourth Century by Constantinus II to adorn the Circus Maximus. Across the square is the building housing the "Scala Santa" (the Holy Staircase), a popular destination for pilgrims. According to tradition, the 28 stairs were ascended by Christ in the Pontius Pilate's palace. At the top of the Scala Santa is the Pope's chapel known as the Holy Holies (Sancta Sanctorum).

The San Giovanni in Laterano is the first Christian Basilica built in Rome by Emperor Constantine. This building symbolized the triumph of Christianity over paganism and is considered the Cathedral of Rome. It is the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. This edifice was twice destroyed by fire and rebuilt on several occasions. At one point its Baptistery was the only one in the Eternal City. It is now used for the ceremonies of Holy Saturday.

The Anfiteatro Castrense in the southwestern part of the district is the Roman amphitheatre that most people, including far too many Romans, know nothing about. This miniature Colosseum, once home to "venationes", a Roman spectator sport pitting soldiers and slaves against wild animals, now boasts an interior fruit and vegetable garden tended by Benedictine-Cistercian monks whose monastery and church is right next door. Santa Croce in Gerusalemme was part of a palace that Emperor Constantine converted into a church to house his mother's relics brought back from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Some believe that these relics include a fragment of the True Cross.

The Porta Maggiore ("Larger Gate"), or Porta Prenestina, is one of the eastern gates in Rome's well-preserved Third Century Aurelian Walls. The original gate was built in the mid-First Century by Emperor Claudius. Nearby is the Tomb of the Baker, built by Marcus Virgilius Eurysaces, a former slave, showing in a way just how far freedmen could go.

The University of Rome "La Sapienza", is centrally located in the eastern Roman district of the same name. In Italian, Sapienza means wisdom or knowledge. This is the largest university in all Europe with over 140 thousand students. The University was founded in 1303 but many of the present buildings were constructed in the early 1930s. Sapienza is ranked among Europe's top 30 universities. Its most famous professor was Nobel Physics Prize winner Enrico Fermi, sometimes called father of the atomic bomb. As you might well guess, the neighboring San Lorenzo district has quite an animated nightlife.

Tucked in the northwest corner of this district you'll find the Castra Pretoria, the barracks housing the Praetorian Guard of Imperial Rome that was built in 23 AD. Three of the four sides were incorporated into the Aurelian Walls and can still be seen today despite their partial destruction by Constatine I who also disbanded the guard. The area is now home to the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale (National Library) of Rome, one giant library. Make sure to see the Arch of Sixtus V, all that is left to commemorate one controversial Pope.

The Basilica Papale di San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura (Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls) is one of seven pilgrim churches in Rome. It is named for the Patron Saint of cooks and chefs martyred in 258. He was said to be burnt on this site. The site contained a small oratory built by Constantine. Then a church was erected towards the end of the Sixth Century. Another church was added in the Thirteenth Century. There's a lot to see here including an ancient sarcophagus, decorated with scenes from a pagan marriage feast. This church was bombed during World War II but has been restored.

by: Levi Reiss

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