Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

Roma Capitale's phrase for it is «la cattedrale di Roma, madre di tutte le chiese di Roma e del mondo». The basilica's own site carries the motto Mater et Caput Omnium Ecclesiarum.

Under the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929, Italy recognises the Holy See's full ownership of this property (Art. 13; Annex II). Art. 15 states that the property, «benché facenti parte del territorio dello Stato italiano» — although forming part of the territory of the Italian State — enjoys the immunities that international law grants to the headquarters of the diplomatic agents of foreign States. It is on Italian soil and visitors are subject to Italian law. Art. 13 names the basilica explicitly, and Annex II, Tav. 1 names the «Basilica e Palazzo Apostolico Lateranense ed annessi con la Scala Santa».

The complex around it is not a single unit for the purposes of this corpus: the Scala Santa is in the rione Esquilino, and is written up there rather than here.