A new inscription in the portico of St. Peter’s

In front of the Holy Door, in the portico where everything speaks of Peter and of apostolic succession, a new epigraph has been installed bearing the names of the 149 pontiffs buried in the Vatican Basilica, from Saint Peter († 64 or 67) to Benedict XVI († 2022), of whom only 51 still have a preserved sarcophagus or funerary monument. The Carrara marble slab (325 x 250 cm) is a replica of the one located in the corridor of the Sacristy, whose viewing, however, is difficult and limited only to pilgrims visiting the museum.

The new inscription, accessible to all, was unveiled on the eve of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, on the occasion of the Extraordinary Consistory of 26–27 June 2026, the year marking the fourth centenary of the Dedication of St. Peter’s Basilica.