Rome & Lazio - Italy - page 198

was the pope's main place of worship. It is still Rome's official cathedral and the pope's
seat as the bishop of Rome.
Surmounted by fifteen 7m-high statues - Christ with St John the Baptist, John the
Evangelist and the 12 Apostles - Alessandro Galilei's huge white facade is a mid-18th-
century example of late-baroque classicism. The central bronze doors were moved here
from the Curia in the Roman Forum, while on the far right, the carved Holy Door is only
opened in Jubilee years.
The interior has been revamped on numerous occasions, although it owes much of its
present look to Francesco Borromini who redecorated it for the 1650 Jubilee. It's a breath-
taking sight with a spectacular gilt ceiling , a beautiful 15th-century mosaic floor , and a wide
central nave lined with 4.6m-high sculptures of the apostles. At the head of the nave, the
Gothic baldachin over the papal altar is a dramatic work containing the relics of the heads
of saints Peter and Paul. In front of the altar, a double staircase leads down to the confessio ,
which houses the Renaissance tomb of Pope Martin V.
Behind the altar, the massive apse is decorated with sparkling mosaics, parts of which
date to the 4th century, but most of which was added in the 19th century.
On the first pilaster in the right-hand nave is an incomplete Giotto fresco . While admir-
ing it, cock your ear towards the next pilaster, where a monument to Pope Sylvester II (r
999-1003) is said to sweat and creak when the death of a pope is imminent.
To the left of the altar, the beautiful 13th-century cloister is a lovely, peaceful place with
graceful Cosmatesque twisted columns set around a central garden.
DON'T MISS
TERME DI CARACALLA
The remnants of emperor Caracalla's vast baths complex Terme di Caracalla ( 06 3996 7700;
www.coopculture.it; Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 52; adult/reduced €7/4; 9am-1hr before sunset
Tue-Sun, 9am-2pm Mon ; Viale delle Terme di Caracalla) are among Rome's most awe-inspiring
ruins. Inaugurated in 216, the 10-hectare complex comprised baths, gymnasiums, libraries, shops and
gardens, and was used by up to 8000 people every day. Underground, slaves sweated in 9.5km of tun-
nels, tending to the plumbing systems.
Most of what you see today are the remains of the central bath house , a huge edifice that measured
218m by 112m. You can also visit the tunnels and a recently opened underground temple (Mith-
raeum), dedicated to the Persian god Mithras.
In summer the ruins are used to stage spectacular opera performances.