Archeology | “A rare and important find” – The residence of an ancient pope was excavated in Rome

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a medieval palace in Rome where the popes may have lived before the Vatican became the headquarters of the Catholic Church. The news agency Reuters reports the Italian Ministry of Culture bulletin by.

In the excavations carried out in front of the early Christian Lateran Church, i.e. Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, complex architectural structures were found. The most significant discovery is the wall that protected the huge basilica. The basilica called Patriarchio was built in the 4th century Constantine the Great in the era.

Constantine the Great is believed to have been the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

“This is an extremely important discovery for the city of Rome and its medieval history, because no archaeological excavations have been carried out in the square in modern times,” the ministry said in its press release.

Constantine The Patriarchio, built on the initiative, was expanded several times between the 8th and 13th centuries. At that time, the basilica was also the residence of the bishop of Rome, i.e. the Pope.

At that time, the bishop of Rome was not yet in such a recognized position as the pope is today. In 1305, the Pope moved out of the Patriarchio and went to live temporarily in France before returning to Rome to the Vatican.

in Rome there is a lot of construction and cleaning work going on as the city prepares to celebrate the Catholic Jubilee Year 2025.

During the jubilee year, Catholics can have their sins forgiven if they fulfill certain conditions and perform good deeds or pilgrimages.

Around 30 million pilgrims and tourists are expected in the city during the next year.

Excavations are being made in front of the Lateran Church, or Basilica di San Giovanni. Picture: Italian Ministry of Culture