The Papal Tombs

The Papal Tombs are the official resting place of the Popes. They are located one floor beneath St. Peter's Basilica.

It is up to each Pope to be buried where he would like, although most have chosen to be buried in the tombs.

The tombs are the location of the grave of Saint Peter, who was buried on this site following his execution in the chariot racing track of Nero on Vatican Hill. Christians buried Peter in a adjacent cemetery on this hill and he would be followed by many Christians who wished to be near a man who has walked with Jesus.

Christianity was legalised by the Roman Emperor Constantine 250 years after Peter's death and Constantine would build a church over the grave of the first apostle in 326 AD. From then the Popes, or Bishops of Rome, would be usually buried close to Peter's tomb to show the continuity of their office from the one established by this fisherman from Galilee.

By the middle ages Constantine's Basilica was decrepit and in constant need of repair. In 1506 work began on the current St. Peter's and it would not be completed until 120 years later in 1626. Carlo Maderno, the second last architect of the Basilica, created the area for the current Papal Tombs by raising the Basilica floor one storey.

The original ground level of Vatican Hill where Peter and the early Christians were buried is called the Necropolis or city of the dead. This is two stories beneath the basilica floor and is only open to the public by special permission through the ufficio scavi.

The papal tombs are directly above the necropolis and are the closest that the public can get to the grave of Peter without a specific permit. The tombs house the remains of over twenty Popes, Kings, Queens and Cardinals including Saint Peter, John Paul I, Paul VI, Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII, James Stuart (James III) of England and Queen Christina of Sweeden among others. John Paul II was raised from the Papal Tombs to the Basilica floor following his beatification in May 2011.

Like any Catholic Church the papal tombs are free and there is no line or queue for them.
The entrance is located to the right of Saint Peter's Basilica and you can visit them by going to the Basilica and entering via the door on the right or you can enter them after seeing the Sistine Chapel. As it is a holy place, effectively a graveyard, no photography whatsoever is allowed. The tombs are open until 5.30pm in the winter and 6pm during the warmer months.

You can include a visit to the papal tombs on my tour by request.

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