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Remains of medieval palace where popes lived possibly found in Rome
Archaeologists in Rome may have uncovered the remains of a medieval palace for popes that long preceded the Vatican, officials announced on Wednesday. If the ancient structure did in fact serve the purpose they believe it does, then learning more about it could provide new insight into the earlier eras of the papal seat in Italy and the power struggles that shaped it over time.
While excavating a piazza around the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in central Rome, a team of archaeologists happened to discover an advanced hidden structure, surrounded by walls that could have been built as early as the 9th century A.D., and as late as the 13th century, the Italian Ministry of Culture said in a news release.
The wall was potentially constructed as a means to physically create and protect the patriarchate of the time, which consisted of the patriarch, or leader, as well as his office. It may have encircled a castle or other fortified structure where various popes were said to have lived during the years it still stood.
Italian Culture Ministry
Italian officials said that the remains could have ties to the former Roman Emperor Constantine, who would have begun to oversee construction on the building, in his own vision, in the 4th century. Constantine ordered the construction on the same site that held barracks for the emperor’s mounted card. Although the patriarchate was first limited to only a basilica — which was huge on its own — the area was expanded and renovated multiple times throughout the Middle Ages and ultimately became the papal seat until conflict with France temporarily pushed the popes out of Italy in 1305. When they returned, the papal seat was transferred to the Vatican.
What archaeologists found beneath the square in Rome marked the first extensive excavation of its kind on the property, and with that, a number of opportunities to learn about Italy’s history and its connections to the Pope and Catholicism.
“The new discoveries in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano are yet another demonstration of the richness of the territory of Rome, an inexhaustible mine of archaeological treasures,” said Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sanguiliano in a statement.
“Every single stone speaks to us and tells its story: thanks to these important discoveries, archaeologists will be able to learn more about our past. I would like to express my satisfaction for the commitment and passion that researchers are putting into their work. It is essential to combine the protection of our history with the need to protect and modernize the urban fabric,” the statement said.
The basilica structure that existed within the borders of the walls found in the excavation took a long period of time to plan, build and renovate, according to the culture ministry. During that period, Rome faced intermittent raids from neighboring adversaries as well as conflict within the city of Rome itself, as aristocratic people vied for access to the Italian throne.
After the papal seat was returned to Italy — having been pushed from there to Avignon for decades between 1309 and 1377, the terms of seven consecutive popes between 1309 and 1377 — it was ultimately transferred to the Vatican.
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A Georgia county’s emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people and wounded nine others, records released Friday by Barrow County show.
Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from release calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.
Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with an automated message saying there was a “high call volume,” WAGA-TV reported.
One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.
Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.
“My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,'” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”
Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.
“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?” one caller asked.
“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now,” the operator responded. “We have a lot of calls coming in.”
More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.
“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”
The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Thursday that the suspect rode the school bus on the day of the shooting with the assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack.
He then asked a teacher for permission to go to the front office to speak with someone, and when he received it, he was allowed to take his backpack with him, GBI said. He then went to a restroom, where he hid, and then eventually took out the weapon and started shooting, investigators said. A knife was also found on him when he was arrested.
According to investigators, the suspect enrolled at Apalachee High on Aug. 14, and between Aug. 14 and the day of the shooting, he was absent for nine days of school.
The family told CBS News that the suspect’s maternal grandmother had visited the school the day before the massacre to discuss the suspect’s alleged behavioral issues.
The suspect has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.
The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.
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