Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ◀ Apse Mosaic Artist: Iacopo Torriti Date: 1295 • At the sides of the inner arch, from Revelation, there are 24 elders, 7 candlesticks, and also the 4 gospel writers. They worship the lamb at the top center of the inner arch • At the base of the inner arch is St. Matthew Preaches to the Hebrews. The relics of St. Matthew were brought to this church from the East and placed in the main altar • At the base of the apse mosaic is the Presentation • This part of the mosaic was covered in 1593 for a renovation but restored in 1933 by Pope Pius XI based on sketches

Anchor 1 ▼ Right Aisle Date: 1300s • These are what is left of old wall paintings ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ Elijah • Elijah the prophet lived in the 800s BC. He is mainly written about in the Old Testament Book of Kings • Below the statue is an inscription with the names of those clergy present during the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception of Mary by Pope Pius IX (1792-1878) on December 8, 1854. There are two other inscriptions which also contain names with the final one recording the event itself

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Portico Artist: Gregorio Zappala Date: 1800s • This is a statue of St. Paul

Anchor 1 ▼ Tomb of Cardinal Gerardo Bianchi Date: 1302 ca • The monument is Tomb of Cardinal Gerardo Bianchi of Parma. Cardinal Bianchi (1302 d) was St. John Lateran's first archpriest • Originally the title of archpriest included a level of authority over other priests but this survives today as a merely honorary title. The office of archpriest was instituted around 1299 by Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303) ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of Pius IX ▲ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ St. Agnes Aedicule Artist: Vincenzo Felici Date: • The statue is St. Agnes

Anchor 1 ▼ Blessed Sacrament Chapel Artist: Pietro da Cortona; Raffaele Vanni • The cupola is the Mystery of the Eucharist • The pendentives, from top left clockwise, are a high priest giving the bread of proposition, Aaron, Elijah, and Melchizedek ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Atrium • The columns on the east side are of Montofarno granite. There are 150 total columns throughout the atrium ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of Mary Immaculate and Saints

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of St. Sebastian Artist: Ciro Ferri Date: 1672 • The benefactor for this chapel was Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597-1679) • This altar contains the relics of St. Sebastian and was built directly above the catacombs where he had been buried

Anchor 1 ▼ Conversion of St. Paul Altar Artist: Unknown Date: 1800s • After the fire, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia (1796-1855) donated the malachite and lapis lazuli to assist with the rebuilding • The malachite is the green stone and the lapis lazuli is the blue stone ▲

Anchor 1 ◀ S. Sebastiano • This is the entrance to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. You can visit them still today • The room within is part of the remains of the 4th century church and contains many inscriptions. Excavations in 1915 found many 3rd century graffiti which mention Peter and Paul. This is because, at that time, the bodies of Peter and Paul were buried here • While the word 'catacomb' has come to refer to all of the various cemeteries near Rome, it originally only referred to this cemetery. It was known as the 'cemoeterium ad catacumbas' or cemetery at the hollows • These catacombs were always known and were often visited over the centuries. This included saints such as St. Jerome (340-420 ca.), St. Brigid of Sweden (1303-1373 ca.), and St. Philip Neri (1515-1595). ▼

Anchor 1 Monument to Queen Christina of Sweden Artist: Jean Baptiste Theodon Date: 1702 ca. • The relief recalls Queen Christina (1626-1689) coming into the Catholic faith on November 3, 1655 in Innsbruck, Austria ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Patrizi Chapel Artist: Giuseppe Puglia Date: 1635 • The altarpiece is Virgin Appears in a Dream to Giovanni and his Wife • Note that Mary is indicating in the direction of the miraculous snow. The story connected with this painting is noted on the Patrizi monument on the floor

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Tomb of Umberto I ▼

Beggar's Rome

Anchor 1 Chiesa del Gesu Original church of S. Maria della Strada: Current baroque church: 1584 • When St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) brought the Society of Jesus, often called the Jesuits, to Rome in 1537 he was given S. Maria della Strada which was located here. When they needed a larger space, they demolished the old church and then built the Gesu. St. Ignatius lived in the rooms to the right of the Gesu from 1544-1556. These rooms can still be visited today. • The new church first had a foundation stone laid around 1550 before delays. A second time, now with plans by Michelango, a foundation stone was laid in 1554 before delays. The third plan under Vignola, followed by Giovanni Tristano and then Giovanni De Rosis, was successful. Facade Artist: Giacomo Della Porta Date: 1571-1575 • The statues are St. Ignatius (left) and St. Francis Xavier (right) who have relics within. The IHS is the Latin monogram"Iesus Hominum Salvator" which means Jesus Savior of Humanity. • The benefactor was Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-1589). The Farnese coat of arms is at the top of the facade. The text reads: "Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, Vice-Chancellor, erected 1575." • This facade indicates the transition from the Renaissance to the baroque. It was often imitated throughout Europe. ▶

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Sacred Heart Chapel • This chapel was originally dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption in 1548 by duke Visconti di Modrone of Milan. A later benefactor Vincenzo Maccarni rededicated the chapel to the Resurrection. It was then dedicated to Mary Magdalene before its current dedication to the Sacred Heart • The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was promoted by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) who was a French Visitation nun who had visions of Mary and Jesus who encouraged her to make know the wonders of Jesus' love for humanity ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Tomb of Gregory XVI