Archaeologists digging at the site of a new infrastructure project in Rome have unearthed some lost and forgotten stone walls from a grand medieval palace that was home to the Catholic papacy for nearly 1,000 years, from the fourth through the 14th centuries. In preparation for the 2025 Catholic Jubilee, a pilgrimage event that takes place periodically in Rome, archaeologists hired by the Italian Ministry of Culture have been carrying out exploratory excavations in the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterno. This is where some of Rome’s most historically significant religious structures are located, including the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Baptistery, the Holy Stairs and the Sancta Sanctorum, and the Obelisk. The infrastructure improvement initiative in the Piazza is designed to make the area more accessible for the millions of worshippers who are expected to visit Rome next year for the Jubilee. As a side benefit, the project has provided a unique opportunity for archaeologists to search for previously undiscovered ruins and artifacts near ancient sacred sites. Vatican City: The Tiniest Country with the Biggest Influence What Really Lies Hidden in the Vatican Secret Archives?   Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesEuropeRead Later