Panorama showing the outside of the Lateran Palace in Rome and the rear entrance to the San Giovanni in Laterano church. The Lateran Obelisk was covered in scaffolding for renovation work when this picture was taken in 2006.

Palazzo del Laterano - Rome visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Palazzo del Laterano' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Roma.

The Lateran Palace (Palazzo del Laterano) in Rome was an ancient Roman palace and later a Papal palace. The red, brick palace stands next to the San Giovanni in Laterano basilica and was the principle residence of the popes for about a thousand years from 300AD. It now contains the Museo Storico Vaticano, a museum about the history of the Papal States.

In the middle of the square is the Lateran Obelisk, which once stood in front of Tuthmosis III's Karnak temple in Egypt. It was moved to Rome by Constantius II in 357 and erected in the Circus Maximus. The obelisk was moved to the current site beside the Lateran Palace in 1587 by Sixtus V. It is the largest obelisk in the world.

Today the Piazza di Giovanni in Laterano beside the palace is a very busy junction in Rome. From here main roads lead to Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore to the north and the Colosseum and Roman Forum to the west.

Metro: S. Giovanni