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Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica

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In Old St. Peter's Basilica, the papal tombs were the final resting places of the popes, most of which dated from the 5th to 16th centuries. The majority of these tombs were destroyed during the 16th through 17th century demolition of the basilica, except for one which was destroyed during the Saracen Sack of the church in 846 CE. The remainder were transferred in part to new St. Peter's Basilica, which stands on the site of the original basilica.

A drawing of the interior of St. Peters
A sketch by Giacomo Grimaldi of the interior of St. Peter's during its reconstruction, showing the temporary placement of some of the tombs

History

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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

Papal tombs

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Contents
400–500 · 500–600 · 600–700 · 700–800 · 800–900 · 900–1000 · 1000–1100 · 1100–1200 · 1200–1300 · 1300–1400 · 1400–1500 · 1500–1600
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]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 40.
  2. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 272.
  3. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 274.
  4. ^ Grimaldi, Giacomo. Ed. R. Niggl. 1972. Descrizione della Basilica Antica di S. Pietro in Vaticano: Codice Barberini Latino 2733. Vatican City.
  5. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 12.
  6. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 40–41.
  7. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 41.
  8. ^ a b c d Reardon, 2004, p. 42.
  9. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 43.
  10. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 44.
  11. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 45.
  12. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 46.
  13. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 46–48.
  14. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 48.
  15. ^ a b Mann, 2003, p. 22.
  16. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 49–51.
  17. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 51.
  18. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 52.
  19. ^ a b c d Reardon, 2004, p. 53.
  20. ^ a b c d e Reardon, 2004, p. 54.
  21. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 54–55.
  22. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 55.
  23. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 55–56.
  24. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 56.
  25. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 57.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 58.
  27. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 59.
  28. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 60.
  29. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 16.
  30. ^ Mann, 2003, p. 24.
  31. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 61.
  32. ^ a b c d e Reardon, 2004, p. 62.
  33. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 64.
  34. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 65.
  35. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 66.
  36. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 67.
  37. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 68.
  38. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 69.
  39. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 70.
  40. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 71.
  41. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 72.
  42. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 74.
  43. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 75.
  44. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 76.
  45. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 81.
  46. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 82.
  47. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 84.
  48. ^ Mann, 2003, p. 27.
  49. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 88.
  50. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 11.
  51. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 100.
  52. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 101.
  53. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 111.
  54. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 106–108, 111–112.
  55. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 120–121.
  56. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 137.
  57. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 147.
  58. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 140.
  59. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 141–142.
  60. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 153.
  61. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 163.
  62. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 167.
  63. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 177.
  64. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 182.
  65. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 185–186.
  66. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 186.
  67. ^ Aldrich, Robert, and Wotherspoon, Garry. (2000). Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History from Antiquity to World War II. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-25369-7. p. 278.
  68. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 187–188.
  69. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 195.
  70. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 199.

References

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  • 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
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