A contemporary of Santa Cruz and Santa Fe
Date: 11/9/2010
From:
FatherVictorFeltes 
Umm...
Actually, St. John Lateran is the name of one of the four major basilicas in Rome. It is the Pope's cathedral and contains his cathedra, or chair. (St. Peter's Basilica is only a shrine.)
Officially it is named the "Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Sts. John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran." [Italian source: http://www.vicariatusurbis.org/Ente.asp?ID=674] You know these first guys, but why "Lateran?"
The Laterani family had a mansion here in the 1st century, until the site was turned into a barracks in the 2nd, and then into a chruch by Constantine in time for the First Lateran Council (against Donatism) in 313. [source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-st-john-lateran.htm]
I really want to go in there and see what the Pope's cooking.