In one of the historic districts of the city, adjacent to St. John Lateran Basilica, the “Mater et Caput” of all the churches of Rome and the world, stands the Lateran Palace, the papal seat and official residence of the Popes for many centuries.

Damaged several times over the centuries, by earthquakes, raids and invasions, and punctually restored, it was devastated by a fire in 1308: thus, upon the return of the papacy to Rome in 1377 after the ‘Avignon exile’, the popes fixed their residence at the Vatican.

Although it is no longer inhabited, it will continue to keep intact its prerogative of Patriarchium, that is the House of the Bishop of Rome, in fact, all the popes elected to the throne of Peter have always celebrated their taking of possession in St. John Lateran Basilica.