La cd "Sala dei Pontefici" (o Sala dei Patti Lateranensi)

I'm adding this gem to Maps because, with its FIRST review, I hope to convince you to visit it, considering it's only been open to visitors for a few years. Since 2021, by order of Pope Francis, the main floor of the Lateran Palace, home to ten state rooms, each with a specific function, as well as the Pope's apartments and private chapel, has been reopened to visitors. The Hall of Conciliation, also known as the Hall of the Pontiffs, is where the Lateran Pacts were signed on February 11, 1929, between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy, represented by Cardinal Pietro Gasparri and Benito Mussolini (for this reason, it is also known by a third name, the Hall of the Lateran Pacts, Editor's note). The original furnishings are still visible: eight carved mahogany oriental chairs, the large table at the back, and a gilded bronze writing desk made by Ignazio Borgognoni in Rome in 1850. The room's decoration expresses the dual nature of the Church, human and divine, led by the successors of Peter. The upper gilded frieze depicts nineteen pontiffs, from Saint Peter to Sylvester I, pope during the time of Constantine. The lower band depicts the works completed by Sixtus V during the five years of his pontificate (1585–1590), including the renovation of the Piazza del Quirinale and Porta Pia, the Felice aqueduct, the fortifications of Montalto, the fight against banditry, the Basilica of Loreto, the reclamation of the Pontine Marshes, the port of Terracina, the treasury of Castel Sant'Angelo, the Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, alliances with Christian princes, and the restoration of the port of Civitavecchia and Trajan's aqueduct. The wooden ceiling, designed by Cesare Santarelli in 1589, features the heraldic motifs of Sixtus V: the lion with a pear branch. Truly beautiful and imposing, the surviving relics commemorating that historic day that resolved the "Roman Question" are very interesting. Need some useful info? Then leave a like and check out other reviews on Rome and beyond.