11 Things You Didn’t Know About St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome

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6St. Peter’s Basilica is Not the Cathedral of Rome

Despite its monumental stature, St. Peter’s Basilica is not the cathedral of Rome.

The cathedral, or seat of the bishop, is the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. St. Peter’s Basilica, while a major papal church, is considered a “papal basilica” and not the primary seat of the Bishop of Rome. This distinction adds an interesting layer to the ecclesiastical landscape of the city.