Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's 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

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.


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