For more than a century, most popes have been buried at St. Peter’s Basilica, beneath the dome of one of the most famous churches in the world. But here’s something you might not know: rather than St. Peter’s, Pope Francis has asked to be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located on Rome’s Esquiline Hill. Why break such a long-standing tradition? As it turns out, the answer is deeply personal.

Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s oldest and most admired churches, but it’s also a place that Pope Francis has visited regularly over the years. Whenever he returned from an international trip, he would often head straight there before going anywhere else.

Here, he would pray in front of the ancient icon of the “Salus Populi Romani”: a Byzantine image of the Virgin Mary from the 11th century, believed to protect the Roman people. For years, for Pope Francis, this church has served as a place for reflection and pause, away from the formality of Vatican life.

According to Monsignor Rolandas Makrickas, who helps manage the basilica, the Pope’s decision came after a dream. Yes, a dream! One day in 2022, while discussing renovations to the Paolina Chapel, Makrickas casually asked the Pope if he’d ever considered being buried there. At first, Francis said no, but a few days later, he changed his mind, explaining that he had seen the Virgin Mary in a dream and taken it as a sign.

connection and a certain down-to-earth approach. His burial plan is no exception.

In fact, Pope Francis has requested a simple tomb, nothing elaborate or ostentatious. Made from Ligurian marble, it should bear only a single word in Latin: Franciscus, as he requested in his testament.

He demanded that the tomb be located between the Sforza Chapel and the Paolina Chapel, an ornate area on the left side of the basilica, built in the 1600s under Pope Paul V. This space already holds the tombs of several popes from centuries past, but Francis will be the first modern-era pope to be buried here.

If you’re wondering “Wait, isn’t Santa Maria Maggiore outside the Vatican?”, you’re right. It’s not within Vatican City, but it does enjoy special extraterritorial status, kind of like an embassy. So even though you’re still in the heart of Rome, technically you’re stepping into a little piece of international sacred ground.

Next time you visit Santa Maria Maggiore, know that it’s more than just a stunning basilica filled with centuries of art and devotion. It’s also the place Pope Francis has chosen for his final resting place: a quiet, humble tribute to the Madonna, and a deeply Roman farewell.