An important discovery that brings to light a medieval palace in which it is believed that the popes lived in Rome, was made in the context of the renovations for the Catholic Holy Year 2025 or Jubilee, as announced yesterday Wednesday by the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Archaeological digging in the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in the center of the city has revealed a complex architectural structure with walls believed to have protected the Patriarchate, a monumental basilica envisioned by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century.

Archaeologists estimate that the walls of the complex protected the Patriarchate, a monumental basilica envisioned by Emperor Constantine in the square outside the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran.

“This is an extremely important find for the city of Rome and its medieval history, as extensive archaeological excavations have never been carried out in the square in modern times,” the ministry said.

The building’s original structure, which follows Constantine’s proclamation of tolerance for Christianity in the Roman Empire in 313, was gradually expanded between the 9th and 13th centuries and housed the papacy until 1305, when it temporarily moved to Avignon, France, the ministry added .