A pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church. Approximately 100 papal tombs are at least partially extant, representing fewer than half of the 266 deceased popes, from Saint Peter to Pope Francis.Mann, 2003, p. 1.
For the first few centuries in particular, little is known of the popes and their tombs, and available information is often contradictory. As with other religious relics, multiple sites claim to house the same tomb. Furthermore, many papal tombs that recycled sarcophagi and other materials from earlier tombs were later recycled for their valuable materials or combined with other monuments. For example, the tomb of Pope Leo I was combined with Leos II, III, and IV circa 855, and then removed in the seventeenth century and placed under his own altar, below Alessandro Algardi's relief, Fuga d'Attila. The style of papal tombs has evolved considerably throughout history, tracking trends in the development of church monuments.Reardon, 2004, pp. 5–12. Notable papal tombs have been commissioned from sculptors such as Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Most extant papal tombs are located in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, other major churches of Rome (especially Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, Santa Maria sopra Minerva and Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore), or other churches of Italy, France, and Germany.Reardon, 2004, pp. 269–271.
Papal tombs by century of the pontificate Non-extant Antipopes __NOTOC__
Note on non-extant tombs
Many early tombs no longer exist due to repeated translations or destruction. This list does not include non-extant papal tombs. Information about these tombs is generally incomplete and uncertain. Locations of destroyed or lost papal tombs include: Saint Peter's tomb, around which the following popes were traditionally believed to have been buried: Pope Linus, Pope Anacletus, Pope Evaristus, Pope Telesphorus, Pope Hyginus, Pope Pius I, Pope Anicetus (later transferred to the Catacomb of Callixtus), and Pope Victor I.Reardon, 2004, pp. 23–26. Epigraphic evidence exists only for Linus, with the discovery of a burial slab marked "Linus" in 1615; however, the slab is broken such that it could have once read "Aquilinus" or "Anullinus".Reardon, 2004, p. 23. The Catacombs of Rome, specifically the Catacomb of Callixtus, the Catacomb of Priscilla (beneath San Martino ai Monti), the Catacomb of Balbina, the Catacomb of Calepodius, the Catacomb of Pontian, and the Catacomb of Felicitas, which were emptied by repeated translations by the ninth century.Reardon, 2004, pp. 10–11. Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica, which once numbered over 100 papal tombs, nearly all of which were destroyed during the sixteenth/seventeenth century demolition.Reardon, 2004, pp. 272–277. Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, where over a dozen tombs were destroyed in two fires (1308 and 1361).Reardon, 2004, pp. 70–109. Other tombs not included in this list are: Tombs of antipopes, which—with few exceptions—are obscure or destroyed. An antipope is a historical papal claimant currently regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as illegitimate. Notably, however, the Tomb of Antipope John XXIII is in the Battistero di San Giovanni in Florence. Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Trevi, the resting place of the precordium of 22 popes from Sixtus V (1585–1590) to Leo XIII (1878–1903).
1st–5th centuries 1st century
Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 30–67(as Head of the Church) PeterSaint Peter Gian Lorenzo Bernini (St. Peter's Baldachin) St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City (Rome) See Saint Peter's tomb post 42 / ante 57–64/67(?)(as Bishop of Rome)
2nd century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notesc. 157–168 AnicetusSaint AnicetusPalazzo Altemps (Piazza Navona), RomeRemains transferred from Vatican Hill to the Cemetery of Callixtus and possibly again thereafter;Reardon, 2004, p. 25. sarcophagus which may once have contained remains is extant in the Palazzo Altemps
3rd century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 25 June 253 – 5 March 254 Lucius ISaint LuciusSanta Cecilia in Trastevere, RomeTransferred from the Catacomb of Callixtus to one or more of: Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, San Silvestro in Capite, and Santa Prassede;Reardon, 2004, p. 30. sarcophagus that once held remains is extant in the crypt of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere 17 December 283 – 22 April 296 CaiusSaint CaiusSant'Andrea della Valle (Barberini chapel), RomeTranslated from the crypt of St. Eusebius in the Cemetery of Callixtus to San Silvestre in Capite, then to another church, then to the private chapel of the Barberini princes in Sant'Andrea della ValleReardon, 2004, p. 31.
4th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 18 January 336 – 7 October 336 MarkSaint MarkSan Marco Evangelista al Campidoglio, RomeTranslated from the Catacomb of Balbina, one of the Catacombs of Rome, to an urn below the main altar of San MarcoReardon, 2004, pp. 34–35.
5th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 29 September 440 – 10 November 461 Leo ISaint LeoLeo the GreatAlessandro Algardi (relief)St. Peter's Basilica, Chapel of the Madonna of PartorientiFirst pope buried on the porch of Old St. 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)Reardon, 2004, p. 40–41.
6th–10th centuries 6th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 3 September 590 – 12 March 604 Gregory I, O.S.B. Saint GregoryGregory the GreatUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaOriginally buried in the portico of Old St. Peter's, partly transferred to Soissons; during the demolition of St. Peter's, transferred to Sant'Andrea della Valle then Cappella Clementina, near the entrance of the modern St. Peter'sReardon, 2004, pp. 46–48.
7th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 13 September 604 – 22 February 606 SabinianUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaOriginal monument in the atrium of Old St. Peter's destroyed during the demolition of Old St. Peter's;Reardon, 2004, p. 48. small fragment of the original epitaph remains in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica 25 August 608 – 8 May 615 Boniface IV, O.S.B.Saint BonifaceUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaOriginally buried in the portico of Old St. 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;Reardon, 2004, pp. 49–51. oratory which once contained the tomb is extant, as well as a sketch of the tomb by CiampiniMann, 2003, p. 22. December 681 – 3 July 683 Leo IISaint Leo IIUnknownSt. Peter's Basilica, Chapel of the Madonna of PartorientiOriginally buried in Old St. 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 Leos I, II, and IV found during the demolition of Old St. Peter'sReardon, 2004, pp. 54–55.
8th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes 1 February 772 – 26 December 795 Adrian IUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaOriginal monument in the Oratory of Cathedra Petri destroyed during the demolition of Old St. Peter's;Reardon, 2004, p. 60. inscription, composed by Charlemagne, remains in the portico of modern St. Peter'sGardner, 1992, ill. 16.Mann, 2003, p. 24. 26 December 795 – 12 June 816 Leo IIISaint LeoUnknownSt. Peter's Basilica, Chapel of the Madonna of PartorientiOriginally buried in Old St. Peter's; combined with Leo II and IV by Pope Paschal II; combined sarcophagus destroyed during the demolition of Old St. Peter's; combined with Leo I in 1601 and placed in a sarcophagus under the altar of our Savior della Colonna in new St. Peter'sReardon, 2004, p. 61.
9th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes January 847 – 17 July 855 Leo IV, O.S.B.Saint LeoUnknownSt. Peter's Basilica, Chapel of the Madonna of PartorientiCombined with Leos I, II, and IIIReardon, 2004, p. 62. 24 April 858 – 13 November 867 Nicholas ISaint NicholasNicholas the GreatUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaOriginally buried in the atrium of Old St. Peter's; epitaph partially preserved during the demolition of Old St. Peter's, extant in the Vatican grottoesReardon, 2004, p. 64. 14 December 867 – 14 December 872 Adrian IIUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaOriginally buried in Old St. Peter's; epitaph partially preserved during the demolition of Old St. Peter's, still visible in the Vatican grottoes 17 May 884 – c.September 885 Adrian IIISaint AdrianUnknownNonantola Abbey, ModenaCrypt altarReardon, 2004, pp. 66.
10th century Pontificate Portrait Common English name Image Sculptor Location Notes October 974 – 10 July 983 Benedict VIIUnknownSanta Croce in GerusalemmeFunerary inscription embedded in the wall near the entranceReardon, 2004, p. 74. 3 May 996 – 18 February 999 Gregory VUnknownSt. Peter's BasilicaTomb discovered on August 14, 1607, under the pavement of St. Peter's; exhumed and reburied on January 15, 1609, in a fourth/fifth century sarcophagusReardon, 2004, p. 76. 2 April 999 – 12 May 1003 Sylvester IIGzila Nalder and Giuseppe DamkoArchbasilica of Saint John LateranDestroyed in the Lateran fire of 1308; charred remains were collected and buried in a polyandrum in the same basilica; epitaph reingraved on a cenotaph in the same basilica; modern monument created in 1910Reardon, 2004, p. 77.
11th–15th centuries 11th century