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Piazza San Giovanni

Rome Tourist Guide
Piazza San Giovanni

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Rome Tourist Guide Routes  

Piazza San Giovanni

This enormous square is most famous for being the site of Rome's cathedral, the San Giovanni in Laterano Basilica. This isn't, however, the only interesting feature the square has to offer. The Scala Santa (the Holy Staircase) takes up one side of the square and is an important pilgrimage site for devout Christians. The stairs are reputed to be those ascended by Christ in Jerusalem on his way to trial before Pontius Pilate.

Another attraction is the Palazzo Lateranense, which served as the pope's residence for many years and now houses the Offices of the Roman Diocese. The palace was the site of some of the most important events in the history of the Catholic Church, including the signing of the Letrán Pact in 1929 which established the Vatican as an independent state. 

The square also includes the battistero (baptistery) and the oldest obelisk in Rome, which was brought over from Egypt and measures more than 30 metres in height. At the far end of the square is the Porta San Giovanni – the portal which leads out to the long avenue Via Appia Nuova, one of the busiest and most important thoroughfares for traffic leaving and entering the city centre.