The area of Pope Miltiades

Pope Miltiade (2 July 311 - 11 January 314) was the last Pope buried in the catacomb of St. Callixtus in the 4th century. According to De Rossi and don Baruffa (Le catecombe di San Callisto, 88) although his tomb so far is not yet identified, however all the documents agreed that he was buried in this catacomb. Pope Miltiade was the successor of St. Eusebius. He was elected Pope in 2nd of July 311, after a period of "sede vacante". Originally he was from Africa. During his pontificate Emperor Maxentius (c. 278 – 28 October 312) reinstated all the belongings of the Church confiscated during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian (303). After the "Edict of Milan" (313) where Christianity was given the freedom of cult by the Emperor Constantine, the Church at last enjoyed its golden era and started to build the churches and basilicas inside the city of Rome and in it's surrounding. He was the first Pope to built the first pontifical basilica here in Rome: the basilica of St. John Lateran in 314. It was the first official residence of the Pope. Even today Pope as the Bishop of Rome, the cathedral or the ecclesiastical seat of the Pope is St. John Lateran. It is also considered as the Ecumenical Mother Church of the Christian Roman Catholic world.