The Triclinium Leoninum is a curious niche decorated by a mosaic that stands near the San Giovanni in Laterano Basilica in Rome. The reason for this placement? Soon said! This apse was the tip of diamond of the ancient (and impressive) banqueting hall of the famous Patriarchium, the first headquarters of the papacy which today corresponds to the Lateran Palace (it is next to the basilica, and here were signed the Lateran Treaty).

The historical memory of the Patriarchium is alive still today, especially because it was the background of many events, and above all it had a new life in the course of the papacy of Leo III, the pontiff who lived at the  beginning of the IX century a.D. He became famous, and an important historical character, because he was the Pope who crowned Charlemagne as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The pope, following the model of Roman/Greek triclinium, would an immense banquet hall, adorned by small decorated apses, having small sofas which were useful in order to eat and discuss standing partly lying down on one arm. I would really like to take a look to this impressive hall, that was one of the main spaces of the official headquarters of the Popes of Rome.

But this huge room had also a large red porphyry tub and, at the end, this beautiful apse, which we can still admire. And we should really feel lucky because the ancient and official residence of the Pope was gorgeous and marvelous, so much that it was several times compared with the palaces of the roman emperors, but at a certain moment it was almost forgotten. Since the XIII century, when the Popes and  their courts moved to the Vatican area, the palace was not considered anymore as the main residence. We should wait the XVI century and the Pope Sixtus V to see new renovations on this area. Anyway inside the original medieval Patriarchium there was a great hall with this mosaic. Here we find a Christ among the Apostles (center), a Christ delivering the keys to St. Peter and the banner with the Cross of Constantine (left), and St. Peter giving the banner to Charlemagne, and the pallium to Pope Leo III (right). The political intention was clear: only Christ and his Prince (St. Peter's) and so the whole Church can be the glue between the different earthly powers (Empire, the Holy Church and the Holy Roman Empire). Legitimation of his own power, in a certain sense.

But there are other curiosities like the figures of the Apostles. Try to count them! There are not 12 men but just 11 (six on the left and five on the right considering Jesus in the centre). The man close to Jesus, holding a cross, is St Peter. It seems that his robe his moved by and invisible wind, but it is just a trick in order to fill the empty space of the Apostle who is not represented here: Judas. Then St Peter is holding a cross because he, in the art history, is the personification of the Holy Church. He was the most important of the Jesus' disciples, and in this way he has the correct dignity. Moreover depicting St Peter in this way, relating him with the written Pax Vobis (peace to you), that can be found on the pages of the book holds by Jesus, was the way used by the Holy Church to underline where is the real power. The Popes received directly by Jesus the mission, if we can say in this way, to bring the peace everywhere with its deeds, peace that must also be spread with the legitimation of a political power, beyond that one of the Sacred Roman Empire. Finally I have to say that the current position of the Triclinium Leoninum comes from the reorganization of the area implemented in the XVIII century. This restoration came after a much wider restructuring which took place with the Pope Sixtus V at the end of XVI century, when he demolished the old Patriarchium to build the new, and current, Lateran Palace. Preserving, however, this amazing and bright mosaic that is true that is showing itself with the restorations of the XVIII century, but on the other hand it is also able  to be a perfect witness of the beginning of a difficult period for the Holy Church. Since the IX century it started to fight against the Sacred Roman Empire in order to understand what can be ruled the entire Europe, mainly in a political way...