Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica

Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica were built from the fifth to sixteenth centuries. The majority of these tombs were destroyed during the sixteenth through seventeenth century demolition of Old St. Peter's Basilica (save one which was destroyed during the Saracen Sack of Rome), although a handful of them were translated in part to modern Saint Peter's Basilica, which stands on the site of the original basilica, and a handful of other churches of Rome.

Along with the repeated translations from the ancient Catacombs of Rome and two fourteenth century fires in Basilica of St. 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 "il Ruinate".[1]

Although the original basilica's construction was begun during the reign of Constantine I and completed in the fourth century, Pope Leo I (440 - 461) was the first pope buried in the Constantian basilica.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

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;[5] Grimaldi's sketches record the shape and complexity of the early tombs, many of which were three-tiered.[3] A few destroyed papal tombs are also detailed in the writings of Alphonsus Ciacconius.[6]

Contents

Chronological list

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

5th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
29 September 440 - 10 November 461 Leo I
Saint Leo
Leo the Great		 Portico[7] 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[2]
3 March 468 - 10 March 483 Simplicius
Saint Simplicius		 Portico, near Leo I[8] Destroyed during the demolition[8]
1 March 492 to 21 November 496 Gelasius I
Saint Gelasius		 Portico[9]
24 November 496 - 19 November 498 Anastasius II Atrium[9] Destroyed during the demolition[9]
22 November 498 - 19 July 514 Symmachus
Saint Symmachus		 Portico[9] Destroyed during the demolition[9]

6th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
20 July 514 - 19 July 523 Hormisdas
Saint Hormisdas		 Destroyed during the demolition[9]
13 August 523 - 18 May 526 John I
Saint John		 Nave[10] Destroyed during the demolition[10]
13 July 526 - 22 September 530 Felix IV (Felix III)
Saint Felix		 Atrium[10] Destroyed during the demolition[10]
22 September 530 - 17 October 532 Boniface II Portico[10] Destroyed during the demolition[10]
2 January 533 - 8 May 535 John II Destroyed during the demolition[11]
13 May 535 - 22 April 536 Agapetus I
Agapitus
Saint Agapetus		 Atrium[11] Destroyed during the demolition[11]
16 April 556 - 4 March 561 Pelagius I Atrium[12] Destroyed during the demolition[12]
17 July 561 - 13 July 574 John III Destroyed during the demolition[13]
2 June 575 - 30 July 579 Benedict I Vestibule of the sacristy[13] Destroyed during the demolition[13]
26 November 579 - 7 February 590 Pelagius II Atrium[13] Destroyed during the demolition[13]
3 September 590 - 12 March 604 Gregory I, O.S.B.
Saint Gregory
Gregory the Great		 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 [14]

7th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
13 September 604 - 22 February 606 Sabinian
Saint Sabinian		 Original monument in the atrium of Old Saint Peter's destroyed during the demolition;[15] small fragment of the original epitaph remains in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica[16]
19 February 607 - 12 November 607 Boniface III Destroyed during the demolition[15]
25 August 608 - 8 May 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;[17] oratory which once contained the tomb is extant, as well as a sketch of the tomb by Ciampini[16]
19 October 615 - 8 November 618 Adeodatus I [18]
23 December 619 - 25 October 625 Boniface V Destroyed during the demolition[18]
27 October 625 - 12 October 638 Honorius I Destroyed during the demolition[19]
October 638 - 2 August 640 Severinus Porch Destroyed during the demolition[20]
24 December 640 - 12 October 642 John IV Destroyed during the demolition[20]
24 November 642 - 14 May 649 Theodore I Atrium[20] Destroyed during the demolition[20]
10 August 654 - 2 June 657 Eugene I
Saint Eugene		 Destroyed during the demolition[21]
30 July 657 - 27 January 672 Vitalian
Saint Vitalian		 Destroyed during the demolition[21]
11 April 672 - 17 June 676 Adeodatus II, O.S.B. Destroyed during the demolition[21]
2 November 676 - 11 April 678 Donus Destroyed during the demolition[21]
27 June 678 - 10 January 681 Agatho
Saint Agatho		 Destroyed during the demolition[21]
December 681 - 3 July 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[22]
683/26 June 684 - 8 May 685 Benedict II
Saint Benedict		 Destroyed during the demolition[23]
12 July 685 - 2 August 686 John V Atrium Destroyed in a Saracen raid in 846[24]
21 October 686 - 22 September 687 Conon Left nave[25] Destroyed during the demolition[25]
15 December 687 - 8 September 701 Sergius I
Saint Sergius		 First pope buried in Saint Peter's proper (not a portico); tomb destroyed during the demolition[25]

8th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
30 October 701 - 11 January 705 John VI Destroyed during the demolition[26]
1 March 705 - 18 October 707 John VII Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary[26] Destroyed during the demolition; surviving mosaic of John VII in the Vatican grottoes believed to be part of his original tomb[26]
15 January 708 - 4 February 708 Sisinnius Left nave[27] Destroyed during the demolition[27]
25 March 708 - 9 April 715 Constantine Left nave[27] Destroyed during the demolition[27]
19 May 715 - 11 February 731 Gregory II
Saint Gregory		 Atrium[27] Destroyed during the demolition[27]
18 March 731 - 28 November 741 Gregory III Oratory of Our Lady[27] Destroyed during the demolition[27]
3 December 741 - 14 March/22 March 752 Zachary
Saint Zachary		 Destroyed during the demolition[27]
23 March 752 - 25 March 752 Never took office as Pope. (Pope-Elect Stephen) Atrium[27] Destroyed during the demolition[27]
26 March 752 - 26 April 757 Stephen II Atrium[28] Destroyed during the demolition[28]
29 May 757 - 28 June 767 Paul I
Saint Paul		 Oratory of Our Lady[28] Temporarily buried in San Paolo fuori le Mura; moved to the Oratory of Our Lady in Old Saint Peter's; destroyed during the demolition[28]
1 August or 7 August 767 - 24 January 772 Stephen III Atrium[28] Destroyed during the demolition[28]
1 February 772 - 26 December 795 Adrian I Original monument in the Oratory of Cathedra Petri destroyed during the demolition;[29] inscription, composed by Charlemagne, remains in the portico of modern St. Peter's[30][31]
26 December 795 - 12 June 816 Leo III
Saint Leo		 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)[32]

9th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
12 June 816 - 24 January 817 Stephen IV Destroyed during the demolition[32]
8 May 824–August 827 Eugene II Destroyed during the demolition[33]
August 827–September 827 Valentine Destroyed during the demolition[33]
827–January 844 Gregory IV Destroyed during the demolition[33]
January 844 - 7 January 847 Sergius II Altar of the chapel of Saints Sixtus and Fabian Destroyed during the demolition[33]
January 847 - 17 July 855 Leo IV, O.S.B.
Saint Leo		 Under the altar of Our Savior della Colonna[33] Combined with Leos I, II, and III[33]
855 - 7 April 858 Benedict III Narthex[34] Destroyed during the demolition[34]
24 April 858 - 13 November 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[34]
14 December 867 - 14 December 872 Adrian II Originally buried in Old Saint Peter's; epitaph partially preserved during the demolition, still visible in the Vatican grottoes[34]
14 December 872 - 16 December 882 John VIII Portico or nave[35] Destroyed during the demolition[35]
16 December 882 - 15 May 884 Marinus I Portico[35] Destroyed during the demolition[35]
885 - 14 September 891 Stephen V Portico[36] Destroyed during the demolition[36]
19 September 891 - 4 April 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[37]
4 April 896 - 19 April 896 Boniface VI Portico[37] Destroyed during the demolition[37]
22 May 896–August 897 Stephen VI Portico[37] Destroyed during the demolition[37]
August 897–November 897 Romanus Destroyed during the demolition[38]
December 897 Theodore II Destroyed during the demolition[38]
January 898–January 900 John IX, O.S.B. Portico, left nave, or just outside[38] Destroyed during the demolition[38]
900–903 Benedict IV Near the gate of Guido[39] Destroyed during the demolition[39]

10th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
29 January 904 - 14 April 911 Sergius III Destroyed during the demolition[39]
April 911–June 913 Anastasius III Atrium[40] Destroyed during the demolition[40]
July/August 913–February/March 914 Lando Destroyed during the demolition[40]
May 928–December 928 Leo VI Destroyed during the demolition[41]
December 928–February 931 Stephen VII Destroyed during the demolition[41]
February/March 931–December 935 John XI Destroyed during the demolition[41]
3 January 936 - 13 July 939 Leo VII, O.S.B. Destroyed during the demolition[41]
14 July 939–October 942 Stephen VIII Destroyed during the demolition[41]
30 October 942–May 946 Marinus II Destroyed during the demolition[41]
July 964 - 1 March 965 Leo VIII Destroyed during the demolition[42]
19 January 973–June 974 Benedict VI Destroyed during the demolition[43]
December 983 - 20 August 984 John XIV Destroyed during the demolition[43]
August 985–March 996 John XV Oratory of St. Mary[44] Destroyed during the demolition[44]
3 May 996 - 18 February 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[45]

11th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
18 May 1012–9 April 1024 Benedict VIII Destroyed during the demolition[46]
April/May 1024–20 October 1032 John XIX Destroyed during the demolition[46]
April/May 1045–20 December 1046 Gregory VI Destroyed during the demolition[47]
12 February 1049–19 April 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,[48] now dedicated to the stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi[49]
12 March 1088–29 July 1099 Urban II, O.S.B.
Blessed Urban		 First tomb destroyed during the demolition[50]

12th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
15 February 1145–8 July 1153 Eugene III, O.Cist.
Blessed Eugene		 Destroyed during the demolition
4 December 1154–1 September 1159 Adrian IV, O.S.A. Reused an Early Christian sarcophagus[51]

13th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
19 March 1227–22 August 1241 Gregory IX Destroyed during the demolition[52]
25 October 1241–10 November 1241 Celestine IV Destroyed during the demolition[53]
25 November 1277–22 August 1280 Nicholas III Original destroyed during the demolition; combined with two Rainaldo Orsinis in 1620[54]
24 December 1294–11 October 1303 Boniface VIII Original tomb chapel, into which Boniface VIII had moved the relics of Boniface IV, destroyed during the demolition[55][56]

14th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Location Notes
8 April 1378–15 October 1389 Urban VI Saved during the deconstruction of Old Saint Peter's; nearly dumped by workmen for use as a water trough[57][58]
2 November 1389–1 October 1404 Boniface IX Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul Tomb by Giovanni Tomacelli among the first destroyed during the demolition[59]

15th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Tomb Sculptor Location Notes
17 October 1404–6 November 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[60]
6 March 1447–24 March 1455 Nicholas V Mino da Fiesole Moved from the left outer aisle of Old Saint Peter's to the right outer aisle, but still monument (not sarcophagus) destroyed during the demolition[61]
30 August 1464–26 July 1471 Paul II Giovanni Dalmata (effigy)
Mino da Fiesole (figures and bas-reliefs)		 Monument moved in 1544 and torn down in seventeenth century; sarcophagus survived demolition[62]
9 August 1471–12 August 1484 Sixtus IV, O.F.M. Antonio del Pollaiolo 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[63]
29 August 1484–25 July 1492 Innocent VIII Antonio del Pollaiolo 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; moved to the sudarium on September 5, 1606 during the demolition[63]

16th Century

Pontificate Portrait Common English name Tomb Sculptor Location Notes
22 September 1503–18 October 1503 Pius III Sebastiano Ferrucci Originally built in Old Saint Peter's; last papal mausoleum erected in Old Saint Peter's; moved to Sant'Andrea della Valle during the reign of Paul V[64]
26 November 1523–25 September 1534 Clement VII Originally buried in a brick tomb in Old Saint Peter's;[65] current tomb is across from that of Leo X, another Medici pope in Santa Maria sopra Minerva
13 October 1534–10 November 1549 Paul III Guglielmo della Porta Moved in 1599[66]
7 February 1550–29 March 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;[67] sometimes cited as buried in the Del Monte chapel of San Pietro in Montorio along with his adopted cardinal-nephew, Innocenzo Ciocchi Del Monte[68]
9 April 1555–30 April or 1 May 1555 Marcellus II No monument; fourth century sarcophagus, bearing a traditio legis[69]
13 May 1572–10 April 1585 Gregory XIII Original monument destroyed; new monument built in eighteenth century[70]
5 December 1590–15 /16 October 1591 Gregory XIV Prospero Antichi [71]
29 October 1591–30 December 1591 Innocent IX No monument[71]

Alfarano's map

Another map, circa 1590, by Tiberio Alfarano maps the interior of Old Saint Peter's, noting the locations of the original chapels and tombs.[4] The following tombs are numbered on Alfarano's map:

1. Saint Peter
2. Pope Anacletus
8. Pope Sixtus I and Pope Paschal II
14. Popes Leo I, II, III, IV
15. Pope Adrian I
16. Pope Urban II
17. Pope Paul I
20. Pope Paschal I
23. Pope Adrian IV
27./134./136. Pope Gregory I
30./32./35./116./117. Pope Symmachus
31. Pope Damasus
38. Pope Gregory III, Pope Eugene III, Pope Innocent VIII
47. Pope Boniface VIII
48. Pope Leo IX
54. Pope Paul III
55. Pope Boniface IV
58./59. Pope Eugene IV
60. Pope Paul II
61./104. Pope Nicholas V
63. Pope Urban VI
66./67./133. Pope Sixtus IV
68./121. Pope Julius II
74. Pope Innocent VII
79. Pope Gregory V
81. Pope Pius III
82. Pope Pius V and Pope Sixtus V
83. Pope Adrian V and Pope Julius III
84. Popes Pius II and III
85. Pope Gregory I
89. Popes Gregory XIII and XIV
90. Popes Callixtus III, Alexander VI, and Urbans VI and VII
94. Pope Boniface IX
95. Popes Nicholas III and Honorius IV
96. Pope Gregory XIII
102. Pope Marcellus II
103. Pope Innocent IX
106. Pope Paul II
107. Popes Leo X and Pius IV
108. Pope Innocent VIII
111. Pope Paul IV
114. Pope John VII
120. Pope Honorius I
122. Sixtus IV, Leo X, Paul III
123. Pope Benedict IV
125. Pope John IX
127. Popes Stephen V and Pope Stephen VI
129. Popes Benedict III and John XIX
130. Honorius I, Leo VII, Eugene IV
132. Pope Sergius I and Adrian I
135. Pope Nicholas I
138. Pope John VIII
139. Pope John XIV
140. Popes John II and III
142. Pope Benedict I
170. Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI


Notes

  1. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 11.
  2. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 40.
  3. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 272.
  4. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 274.
  5. ^ Grimaldi, Giacomo. Ed. R. Niggl. 1972. Descrizione della Basilica Antica di S. Pietro in Vaticano: Codice Barberini Latino 2733. Vatican City.
  6. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 12.
  7. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 40–41.
  8. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 41.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 42.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 43.
  11. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 44.
  12. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 45.
  13. ^ a b c d e Reardon, 2004, p. 46.
  14. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 46–48.
  15. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 48.
  16. ^ a b Mann, 2003, p. 22.
  17. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 49–51.
  18. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 51.
  19. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 52.
  20. ^ a b c d Reardon, 2004, p. 53.
  21. ^ a b c d e Reardon, 2004, p. 54.
  22. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 54–55.
  23. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 55.
  24. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 55–56.
  25. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 56.
  26. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 57.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Reardon, 2004, p. 58.
  28. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 59.
  29. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 60.
  30. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 16.
  31. ^ Mann, 2003, p. 24.
  32. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 61.
  33. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 62.
  34. ^ a b c d Reardon, 2004, p. 64.
  35. ^ a b c d Reardon, 2004, p. 65.
  36. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, pp. 66.
  37. ^ a b c d e Reardon, 2004, p. 67.
  38. ^ a b c d Reardon, 2004, p. 68.
  39. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 69.
  40. ^ a b c Reardon, 2004, p. 70.
  41. ^ a b c d e f Reardon, 2004, p. 71.
  42. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 72.
  43. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 74.
  44. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 75.
  45. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 76.
  46. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 81.
  47. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 82.
  48. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 84.
  49. ^ Mann, 2003, p. 27.
  50. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 88.
  51. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 11.
  52. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 100.
  53. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 101.
  54. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 111.
  55. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 106–108, 111–112.
  56. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 120-121.
  57. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 137.
  58. ^ Gardner, 1992, ill. 147.
  59. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 140.
  60. ^ Reardon, 2004, pp. 141-142.
  61. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 153.
  62. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 163.
  63. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 167.
  64. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 177.
  65. ^ Reardon, 2004, 182.
  66. ^ Reardon, 2004, 185–186.
  67. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 186.
  68. ^ Aldrich, Robert, and Wotherspoon, Garry. (2002). Who's who in gay and lesbian history. Routledge. p. 278.
  69. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 187–188.
  70. ^ Reardon, 2004, p. 195.
  71. ^ a b Reardon, 2004, p. 199.

References