St. Johns Lateran basilica is one of the four papal churches in Rome. Part of the church has been around since the time of Constantine. The obelisk that stands outside of the church was erected in honor of the cross by Constantine and it's thought that he was also bapitized there. The church also served as the place for the papal coronation for a long time. During the reorganization of Italy the Pope and the church felt threatened and the Pope refused to leave the Vatican until Lateran's Treaty was signed giving the Pope four churches in Rome to be apart of Vatican City. There are many former popes who are buried in this church and it is believed that the heads of St. Paul and St. Peter are in two gold statues above the alter.