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But let us now turn once again to the historical and artistic events of the Basilica.
In the period between 1215 and 1232 the cloister of the Vassallettos was added, a masterpiece of the Cosmatesque art but not long after more damage was caused by the rebellion of the Romans in 1234 and by the one headed by Henry of Castille in 1268.The great restoration of the apse on the old foundations in due to Nicholas IV (1288-1292). It included mosaics by Jacopo Torriti and Jacopo da Camerino who in their new work retained some elements of the IV and V century mosaics. Restoration work was also carried out on the Leonine portico and the East front. This work may be considered a preparation to the first great Jubilee proclaimed by Boniface VIII (1294-1303) who had the Loggia of Benedictions built. The remaining fragment of the fresco reminds us still of the great Pope Caetani: it was attributed first to Cimabue and then to Giotto.Though the Apostolic See had been moved to Avignon by Clement V, the latter took great interest in the reconstruction of the basilica after it was burnt down in 1308.
The work proceeded quickly so that Arrigo VII of Luxembourg was able to be crowned there. But an earthquake and a fire again caused a lot of destruction. Urban V (1362-1370), spurred on by the strong reproof of Petrarch who compared the guilded roof in Avignon with the roof in the Lateran which let in both wind and rain, commissioned the Senese architect Giovanni di Stefano to do the restoration. He also replaced the Ciborium destroyed by the fire with a new one. The precious silver reliquaries for the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, stolen at the time of the Jacobean Republic, had been made by the Senese silversmiths Giovanni di Bartolo and Giovanni di Marco. The Papal altar frescoes were painted by Barna of Siena. The work of restoration of the Basilica had been splendidly carried out but the Patriarchate came to a sad end because Gregory IX on his return to Rome from Avignon in 1377, chose to reside in the Vatican where Innocent III and Nicholas III had already built a great palace as the
Popes' residence.
Martin V (1417-1431) who put an end to the Schism and is buried in the Basilica which was struck by lightning in 1411 and heavily damaged during fighting in 1413 against Naples, had some restoration work put in hand again. He himself is buried here in a bronze tomb by Simone Fiorentino.
The painters Gentile da Fabriano and Vittore Pisanello were engaged to paint the frescoes. The work was completed by Pope Eugenius IV (1431-1447): Isaia da Pisa sculpted the tomb of cardinal Antonio Martinet de Chiavez. In 1473 Pope Sisto IV had the famous equestrian statue of Marcus Aurehus restored and Pope Paul III had it removed to the Capitol from the square in front of the Basilica. Pope Pius IV (1559-1566) then engaged Pirro Ligorio. On the occasion of the 1575 Jubilee, Gregory XIII (1572-1585) embellished the altar of the Holy Sacrament and rebuilt the Baptistery ceiling. Sixtus V (1585-1592) commissioned Domenico
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Fontana to renew the North front: he also completed the demolition of the Patriarchy. Clement II (1592-1605) engaged Giacomo della Porta and Cavalier d'Arpino to renew completely the structure and the ornamentation of the transept and the altar of the Holy Sacrament. The Pope had had in view the Jubilee of 1600. The succeeding Pope Urban VIII planned a further Jubilee for 1650, to be followed by Innocentius X who commissioned Borromini with the complete remaking of the five aisles: this work was continued under Alexander VII. The mosaics in the apse were restored, Clement XI provided to the statue of the Apostles, until in 1732 Clement XII had the old East front pulled down and commissioned Alessandro Galilei to build the present one.
Since the 18th century the appearance of the basilica has not been substantially altered even by important restoration works or by the rebuilding of the apse at the time of Leo XIII.The severe Lateran Palace, built by Domenico Fontana in 1586, which according to the wishes Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI was |
appointed as the seat of the Vicariate of Rome Diocesis, the Holy Staircase (the only remains of the ancient Papal palace) and the Leonine Triclinium are the visible testimony of the development of twenty centuries of civilization, as are other remains linked to Nero, Marcus Aurelius and Constantine brought to light by successive archeological excavations. The papal tombs still visible in the Basilica and the ones which are reported as having been there, testify to the long and difficult life of the Church between the 6th and 8th centuries. The baptism of Charlemagne by Hadrian I in this church may be considered as a first attempt at forming a new Europe united in the Christian faith and in the sign of a Holy Roman Empire.
The imperial unity of the Roman Law had prepared the beginning of a unity of faith identified in the successors of the first Vicar of Christ and at times supported or opposed by the emperors.
The 9th century mosaics in the Leonine Triclinium by the Holy Staircase depict the attributes of the respective powers: papal and imperial.
As from the 16th century the Popes took up residence first in the Vatican then at the Quirinale and again in the Vatican, and the Lateran Basilica, which remained caput et mater, saw the Popes officiating especially during the solemn ceremonies of the «possession» and was visited by large crowds of pilgrims during the Holy Years, enriched with the monuments and chapels added to it during the years.
Before concluding, we should like to remind you that on Feb. 11th, 1929, the memorable «Lateran Treaty» was signed in the Palace next to the basilica; they gave «Italy to God and God to Italy». Since then the Pontiffs go back to take solemn possession of the basilica, their Episcopal seat. |
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