MEDIEVAL PAPAL PALACE EXCAVATED IN ROME

An aerial image of the newly unearthed comple outside the Archbasilica of St John Lateran in Rome. Italian Ministry of Culture/Reuters

Sun 28 July 2024:

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a medieval palace in Rome, believed to be a former residence of popes before the Vatican became their official home.

The walls of the complex may have protected the Patriarchio, a monumental basilica envisaged by Emperor Constantine in the square outside the Archbasilica of St John Lateran. Italian Ministry of Culture/Reuters

Discovered in the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the complex structure includes protective walls of the Patriarchio, a monumental basilica envisioned by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, according to Italy’s Culture Ministry.

“This is an extraordinarily important find for the city of Rome and its medieval history,” the ministry stated, noting the lack of extensive modern excavations in the square. The building, initially constructed following Constantine’s 313 AD declaration of tolerance for Christianity, was expanded between the 9th and 13th centuries and housed the papacy until its temporary move to Avignon in 1305.

The excavation is part of preparations for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, expected to draw over 30 million pilgrims and tourists to Rome. During a Jubilee, Catholics can earn special indulgences by fulfilling certain conditions and performing good works or making pilgrimages.

Rome’s ancient history often leads to significant archaeological discoveries during construction projects. Recent excavations near the Vatican, for road tunnel extensions ahead of the Jubilee, have revealed an ancient Roman laundry and a garden used by Emperor Caligula.

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