A few weeks ago I paid a visit to San Giovanni in Laterano -- the Pope's church before the construction of St. Peter's in the Vatican. The Papal throne actually still resides here, though I'm not sure if it's for historical sake or for the lasting deep religious commitment to this church. The pure white columns that lead your eye to the golden ceiling encrusted with the Papal crown, the marble inlaid in the walls, and the stunning mosaic work at the apse is reminiscent of the work in Basilica di San Marco in Venice all create this illuminated space within the congested city. What was most memorable about the decorations in this church, however, was the intricate lace detail in all of the sculptures of the Popes. All of their cassocks and robes were precisely cut to reveal exquisite texture and refinement, something I haven't seen before in any other set of sculptures in Rome (or anywhere, for that matter). Unfortunately it's now surrounded by a shopping district which distract's from it's historical significance and refined beauty, like many of the buildings are now in Rome, but the interior is kept pristine and the statues seem to be able to come to life at any moment in their free-flowing cassocks carved of the most delicate marble.