Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica

Along with the repeated translations from the ancient catacombs of Rome and two fourteenth century fires in the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, the rebuilding of St. Peter's is responsible for the destruction of approximately half of all papal tombs. As a result, Donato Bramante, the chief architect of modern St. Peter's Basilica, has been remembered as "Mastro Ruinante" ("master wrecker").

Although the original basilica's construction was begun during the reign of emperor Constantine I and completed in the fourth century, Pope Leo I (440–461) was the first pope buried in the Constantian basilica.[1] Over the centuries, both the atrium, chapels, and the nave of the basilica were packed with papal tombs, which were juggled between different sections of the church as construction took place on each section of the basilica. All that remains of the original tombs are a few sarcophagi and sculptural fragments.[2] Allegedly, Pope Julius II, the pope who initiated the destruction of the Constantinian basilica, wished to clear space for a "monstrous" tomb of his own by Michelangelo.[3]

Very little is known about the placement and appearance of the original tombs: one of the most valuable accounts is that of church canon and historian Giacomo Grimaldi (a senator of Genoa and the father of Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni), who sketched the tombs as they were moved around the basilica on the way to their destruction;[4] Grimaldi's sketches record the shape and complexity of the early tombs, many of which were three-tiered.[2] A few destroyed papal tombs are also detailed in the writings of Alphonsus Ciacconius.[5]

Not all popes were buried in Rome. See list of non-extant papal tombs

Partially extant, moved, or rebuilt tombs are shown with a darkened background.

A map, circa 1590, by Tiberio Alfarano of the interior of Old Saint Peter's, noting the locations of the original chapels and tombs.[3]

Algardi's Fuga d'Attila, above the altar containing the translated remains of Pope Leo I, "the Great"

The altar above the translated remains of Pope Gregory I, "the Great"

A drawing of the original tomb of Pope Leo III

The atrium of Old St. Peter's Basilica, a popular site for tombs

Drawing of papal tombs, from De sacris aedificiis... by Giovanni Ciampini (1693)

Drawing of papal tombs

Drawing of papal tombs

Drawing of papal tombs

Drawing of papal tombs

Drawing of papal tombs

Drawing of papal tombs

Drawing of papal tombs

An early Christian sarcophagus in which Pope Gregory V was buried after his tomb was discovered beneath the pavement during the demolition

The sarcophagus of Pope Adrian IV, which is extant in the Vatican Grottoes

Drawing of the tomb of Boniface VIII together with a shrine to Boniface IV

The extant sarcophagus of Boniface VIII

The nearly dumped sarcophagus of Urban VI

The remains of Pope Innocent VII were translated to a copy of the original sarcophagus.

The sarcophagus of Pope Nicholas V

The sarcophagus of Pope Paul II

The tomb of Pope Innocent VIII was the first to depict a live pontiff.

The tomb of Pope Pius III was translated to Sant'Andrea della Valle.

The tomb of Pope Paul III

Pope Julius III was reinterred in an ancient sarcophagus.

Pope Marcellus II reused a fourth-century sarcophagus.

The tomb of Pope Innocent IX was the last installed in Old St. Peter's.

Pontificate	Portrait	Common English name	Notes
440–461		Leo I Saint Leo Leo the Great	Tomb located in portico.[6] First pope buried on the porch of Old Saint Peter's Basilica; translated multiple times, combined with Leos II, III, and IV circa 855; removed in the seventeenth century and placed under his own altar, below Algardi's relief, Fuga d'Attila (pictured) in the Chapel of the Madonna of Partorienti.[1]
468–483		Simplicius Saint Simplicius	Tomb located in portico, near tomb of Leo I. Destroyed during the demolition.[7]
492–496		Gelasius I Saint Gelasius	Tomb located in portico[8]
496–498		Anastasius II	Tomb located in atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[8]
498–514		Symmachus Saint Symmachus	Tomb located in portico. Destroyed during the demolition.[8]
514–523		Hormisdas Saint Hormisdas	Destroyed during the demolition[8]
523–526		John I Saint John	Located in the nave. Destroyed during the demolition.[9]
526–530		Felix IV Saint Felix	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[9]
530–532		Boniface II	Located in the portico. Destroyed during the demolition.[9]
533–535		John II	Destroyed during the demolition[10]
535–536		Agapetus I Agapitus Saint Agapetus	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[10]
556–561		Pelagius I	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[11]
561–574		John III	Destroyed during the demolition[12]
575–579		Benedict I	Located in the vestibule of the sacristy. Destroyed during the demolition.[12]
579–590		Pelagius II	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[12]
590–604		Gregory I, O.S.B. Saint Gregory Gregory the Great	Located in the portico. Originally buried in the portico of Old St. Peter's, partly transferred to Soissous; during the demolition of St. Peter's, transferred to Sant'Andrea della Valle then Cappella Clementina, near the entrance of the modern St. Peter's.[13]
604–606		Sabinian Saint Sabinian	Original monument in the atrium of Old Saint Peter's destroyed during the demolition;[14] small fragment of the original epitaph remains in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica[15]
607-607		Boniface III	Destroyed during the demolition[14]
608–615		Boniface IV, O.S.B. Saint Boniface	Originally buried in the portico of Old Saint Peter's; translated to the interior; one arm translated to Santa Maria in Cosmedin; other relics translated to the Chapel of St. Sylvester beside the Church of the Quattro Coronati; remainder translated to another chapel of St. Peter's;[16] oratory which once contained the tomb is extant, as well as a sketch of the tomb by Ciampini[15]
615–618		Adeodatus I	[17]
619–625		Boniface V	Destroyed during the demolition[17]
625–638		Honorius I	Destroyed during the demolition[18]
638–640		Severinus	Located in the porch. Destroyed during the demolition.[19]
640–642		John IV	Destroyed during the demolition[19]
642–649		Theodore I	Located in the atrium.[19] Destroyed during the demolition.[19]
654–657		Eugene I Saint Eugene	Destroyed during the demolition[20]
657–672		Vitalian Saint Vitalian	Destroyed during the demolition[20]
672–676		Adeodatus II, O.S.B.	Destroyed during the demolition[20]
676–678		Donus	Destroyed during the demolition[20]
678–681		Agatho Saint Agatho	Destroyed during the demolition[20]
681–683		Leo II Saint Leo	Originally buried in Old Saint Peter's; translated under the altar of the Chapel of the Madonna della Colonna; combined with Leo I in the early seventeenth century; for centuries believed to be under the altar of the Church of San Stefano in Ferrara; combined remains of Leo's I, II, and IV in Chapel of the Madonna of Partorienti when found during the demolition[21]
684–685		Benedict II Saint Benedict	Destroyed during the demolition[22]
685–686		John V	Located in the atrium. Destroyed in a Saracen raid in 846.[23]
686–687		Conon	Located in the left nave. Destroyed during the demolition.[24]
687–701		Sergius I Saint Sergius	First pope buried in Saint Peter's proper (not a portico); tomb destroyed during the demolition[24]
701–705		John VI	Destroyed during the demolition[25]
705–707		John VII	Located in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Destroyed during the demolition; surviving mosaic of John VII in the Vatican grottoes believed to be part of his original tomb[25]
708-708		Sisinnius	Located in the left nave. Destroyed during the demolition.[26]
708–715		Constantine	Located in the left nave. Destroyed during the demolition.[26]
715–731		Gregory II Saint Gregory	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[26]
731–741		Gregory III	Located in the Oratory of Our Lady. Destroyed during the demolition.[26]
741–752		Zachary Saint Zachary	Destroyed during the demolition[26]
Never took office as Pope		Pope-elect Stephen	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[26]
752–757		Stephen II	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[27]
757–767		Paul I Saint Paul	Located in the Oratory of Our Lady. Temporarily buried in San Paolo fuori le Mura; moved to the Oratory of Our Lady in Old Saint Peter's; destroyed during the demolition.[27]
767–772		Stephen III	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition[27]
772–795		Adrian I	Original monument in the Oratory of Cathedra Petri destroyed during the demolition;[28] inscription, composed by Charlemagne, remains in the portico of modern St. Peter's[29][30]
795–816		Leo III Saint Leo	Located in the Chapel of the Madonna of Partorienti. Originally buried in Old Saint Peter's (above); combined with Leo II and IV by Pope Paschal II; combined sarcophagus destroyed during the demolition; combined with Leo I in 1601 and placed in a sarcophagus under the altar of our Savior della Colonna in new Saint Peter's (below)[31]
816–817		Stephen IV	Destroyed during the demolition[31]
824–827		Eugene II	Destroyed during the demolition[32]
827–827		Valentine	Destroyed during the demolition[32]
827–844		Gregory IV	Destroyed during the demolition[32]
844–847		Sergius II	Located in the Altar of the chapel of Saints Sixtus and Fabian. Destroyed during the demolition.[32]
847–855		Leo IV, O.S.B. Saint Leo	Located under the altar of Our Savior della Colonna. Combined with Leos I, II, and III.[32]
855–858		Benedict III	Located in the Narthex. Destroyed during the demolition.[33]
858–867		Nicholas I Saint Nicholas Nicholas the Great	Originally buried in the atrium of Old Saint Peter's; epitaph partially preserved during the demolition, extant in the Vatican grottoes[33]
867–872		Adrian II	Originally buried in Old Saint Peter's; epitaph partially preserved during the demolition, still visible in the Vatican grottoes[33]
872–882		John VIII	Located in the portico or nave. Destroyed during the demolition.[34]
882–884		Marinus I	Located in the portico. Destroyed during the demolition.[34]
885–891		Stephen V	Located in the portico. Destroyed during the demolition.[35]
891–896		Formosus	Originally buried in old Saint Peter's; exhumed, defrocked, defingered, and thrown in the Tiber River (see: Cadaver Synod); reinterred in Old Saint Peter's; destroyed during the demolition[36]
896-896		Boniface VI	Located in the portico. Destroyed during the demolition.[36]
896–897		Stephen VI	Located in the portico. Destroyed during the demolition.[36]
897–897		Romanus	Destroyed during the demolition[37]
897		Theodore II	Destroyed during the demolition[37]
898–900		John IX, O.S.B.	Located in the portico, left nave, or just outside. Destroyed during the demolition.[37]
900–903		Benedict IV	Located near the gate of Guido. Destroyed during the demolition.[38]
904–911		Sergius III	Destroyed during the demolition[38]
911–913		Anastasius III	Located in the atrium. Destroyed during the demolition.[39]
913–914		Lando	Destroyed during the demolition[39]
928–928		Leo VI	Destroyed during the demolition[40]
928–931		Stephen VII	Destroyed during the demolition[40]
931–935		John XI	Destroyed during the demolition[40]
936–939		Leo VII, O.S.B.	Destroyed during the demolition[40]
939–942		Stephen VIII	Destroyed during the demolition[40]
942–946		Marinus II	Destroyed during the demolition[40]
964–965		Leo VIII	Destroyed during the demolition[41]
973–974		Benedict VI	Destroyed during the demolition[42]
983–984		John XIV	Destroyed during the demolition[42]
985–996		John XV	Located in the Oratory of St. Mary. Destroyed during the demolition.[43]
996–999		Gregory V	Tomb discovered on August 14, 1607 under the pavement of St. Peter's; exhumed and reburied on January 15, 1609 in a fourth/fifth century sarcophagus[44]
1012–1024		Benedict VIII	Destroyed during the demolition[45]
1024–1032		John XIX	Destroyed during the demolition[45]
1045–1046		Gregory VI	Destroyed during the demolition[46]
1049–1054		Leo IX Saint Leo	Originally buried in the east wall of Old Saint Peter's, close to the altar of Gregory I; coffin opened on January 11, 1606 during the demolition and parts were taken as relics; remainder reburied under the altar of Saints Marziale and Valeria,[47] now dedicated to the stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi[48]
1088–1099		Urban II, O.S.B. Blessed Urban	First tomb destroyed during the demolition[49]
1145–1153		Eugene III, O.Cist. Blessed Eugene	Destroyed during the demolition
1154–1159		Adrian IV, O.S.A.	Reused an Early Christian sarcophagus[50]
1227–1241		Gregory IX	Destroyed during the demolition[51]
1241–1241		Celestine IV	Destroyed during the demolition[52]
1277–1280		Nicholas III	Original destroyed during the demolition; combined with two Rainaldo Orsinis in 1620[53]
1294–1303		Boniface VIII	Original tomb chapel, into which Boniface VIII had moved the relics of Boniface IV, destroyed during the demolition[54][55]
1378–1389		Urban VI	Saved during the deconstruction of Old Saint Peter's; nearly dumped by workmen for use as a water trough[56][57]
1389–1404		Boniface IX	Located in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. Tomb by Giovanni Tomacelli among the first destroyed during the demolition.[58]
1404–1406		Innocent VII	Originally buried in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul, moved to the Chapel of St. Thomas in 1455, moved into a mid-fifteenth century copy of the original sarcophagus on September 12, 1606[59]
1447–1455		Nicholas V	Moved from the left outer aisle of Old Saint Peter's to the right outer aisle. Still monument by Mino da Fiesole, but not sarcophagus, destroyed during the demolition.[60]
1464–1471		Paul II	Effigy by Giovanni Dalmata; figures and bas-reliefs by Mino da Fiesole. Monument moved in 1544 and torn down in seventeenth century; sarcophagus survived demolition.[61]
1471–1484		Sixtus IV, O.F.M.	Sculpted by Antonio del Pollaiuolo. Originally located in the choir chapel of Old Saint Peter's; moved in 1610 to the sacristy; moved in 1625 to the Chapel del Coro in new Saint Peter's; combined with Julius II in 1926; moved again in 1940s.[62]
1484–1492		Innocent VIII	Sculpted by Antonio del Pollaiuolo. First papal tomb to depict a live pope rather than a deathbed effigy; originally placed in the Oratory of Our Lady in Old St. Peter's.
1503–1503		Pius III	Sculpted by Sebastiano Ferrucci. Originally built in Old Saint Peter's; last papal mausoleum erected in Old St. Peter's; moved to Sant'Andrea della Valle during the reign of Paul V.[63]
1523–1534		Clement VII	Originally buried in a brick tomb in Old Saint Peter's; current tomb is across from that of Leo X, another Medici pope in Santa Maria sopra Minerva[64]
1534–1549		Paul III	Sculpted by Guglielmo della Porta. Moved in 1599.[65]
1550–1555		Julius III	Originally buried in St. Peter's Basilica sans monument in a red stone sarcophagus in the chapel of San Andrea; reinterred in an ancient sarcophagus in 1608, which was reopened two years later during the demolition;[66] sometimes cited as buried in the Del Monte chapel of San Pietro in Montorio along with his adopted cardinal-nephew, Innocenzo Ciocchi Del Monte[67]
1555–1555		Marcellus II	No monument; fourth century sarcophagus, bearing a traditio legis[68]
1572–1585		Gregory XIII	Original monument destroyed; new monument built in eighteenth century[69]
1590–1591		Gregory XIV	Sculpted by Prospero Antichi.[70]
1591–1591		Innocent IX	No monument[70]

• Index of Vatican City-related articles
• Papal tombs
• St. Peter's tomb

• Gardner, Julian (1992), The Tomb and the Tiara, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ISBN 978-0-19-817510-0
• Mann, H. K. (2003), Tombs and Portraits of the Popes of the Middle Ages, Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7661-2903-0
• Reardon, Wendy J. 2004. The Deaths of the Popes. Macfarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-1527-4

• (in German) Information and images on papal tombs (1417 and 1799) from the Requiem project
• Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica at Find a Grave

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