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| Grottoes
Vatican City Colonnade Saints Floorplan #2 |
| Altars
Monuments The History |
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Pope Innocent
XIII On the south wall of the grottoes, in a niche, is the sepulcher of Innocent XIII Michelangelo, from the noble family of the Counts of Poli. After a brief pontificate of less than 3 years (1721-1724), the pope was buried in a stucco tomb, above the door of the Chapel of the Relics in the basilica, on the left from the Chapel of the Pieta. |
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On July 11, 1836, his tomb was removed to make room for the monument of Leo XIII. The pope's new tomb was in the chapel to the right from the Confessio (Chapel of the Madonna between Peter and Paul). During the restoration in the middle of the 20th century, the remains of the pope were placed in the ancient sarcophagus with a strigilled front, two pillars on the sides and a blank inscription plate. On the lid is the new inscription: INNOCENTIVS XIII P.M. Above the sarcophagus is a fragment of a bas-relief representing two heads of cherubs, attributed to Giovanni Dalmata or another late 15th century artist. Affixed on the right wall of the niche, is a marble slab with a heraldic eagle of the pope from the old tomb. |
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| Source: Roma Sacra The Vatican Grottoes, © Fabbrica of St. Peter's, June 2003 |
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