Rome
Reuters
—
Remains of the medieval palace where the popes lived before making the Vatican their home have been excavated. Rome The Italian culture ministry said Wednesday ahead of updates for the 2025 Catholic holy year, or jubilee.
Archaeologists discovered a complex architectural structure including walls believed to have protected the Patriarzio, a monumental basilica envisioned by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, in the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in the city center, the ministry said in a statement.
Italian Ministry of Culture/Reuters
The walls of this complex probably protected the Patriarcio, a monumental basilica envisioned by Emperor Constantine in the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.
“This is an extraordinarily important discovery for the city of Rome and its medieval history, as no extensive archaeological excavations have been carried out in the square in modern times,” the ministry said.
The initial structure of the building was gradually expanded between the 9th and 13th centuries, following Constantine’s proclamation of the Toleration of Christ in the Roman Empire in 313, until it was temporarily moved to Avignon in France in 1305, the ministry added. .
The area around St. John Lateran is designed to be a year-long event starting in December, ahead of the Jubilee, which is expected to attract more than 30 million pilgrims and tourists to the Italian capital.
During a jubilee, Catholics can receive a special pardon or absolution for their sins if they fulfill certain conditions, perform good works or make pilgrimages.
00:41 – Source: CNN
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With Rome’s long history, stretching back nearly 2,800 years, roadworks often lead to archaeological discoveries.
Other excavations near the Vatican to widen a road tunnel ahead of the Jubilee have in recent weeks revealed traces of an ancient Roman “fullonica,” or laundry, and a portico garden believed to have been used by Emperor Caligula.
