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Lateran is the name given to a group of buildings in the Vatican City facing the Piazza San Giovanni, on land once belonging to the Laterani and given to the Church by Constantine. The basilica, also known as St. John Lateran, is the cathedral of Rome, as well as the Pope's church, serving as the first-ranking church in the Roman Catholic world. The original basilica, built before the year 311, was restored during the 5th to 10th centuries, and rebuilt during the 14th to 18th centuries. The original Lateran Palace was replaced in the 16th century by its present form.
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