Pope Francis is buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in Rome, Italy. His burial took place on April 26, 2025, following his funeral at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City
. He is interred in a burial niche in the side aisle of the basilica, between the Pauline Chapel, which houses the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani (to which he had a great devotion), and the Sforza Chapel
. This location reflects his humble and simple life, and he chose it specifically because of his devotion to the Virgin Mary and his wish to be buried outside the Vatican, breaking with the tradition of popes being buried in St. Peter's Basilica
. Pope Francis is the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican and the first in over 300 years to be interred at St. Mary Major, a church he frequently visited and deeply revered
. The tomb is simple, as per his wishes, to keep the focus on veneration of the Madonna rather than on his own tomb
