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Pope Francis' tomb will be made of marble from Liguria, Italy, the land of his grandparents.

2025-04-25 12:12:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Pope Francis' tomb will be made of marble from Liguria, Italy, the land of

Pope Francis' tomb in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major is made of materials from the Italian region of Liguria. It is a simple tomb bearing only the inscription "Francis" and a reproduction of the late Pope's pectoral cross.

The tomb is located next to the Altar of St. Francis, between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel. Speaking to the media, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas announced Pope Francis' wish to be buried in a tomb made of Ligurian stone, the land of his grandparents.

Pope Francis' tomb will be made of marble from Liguria, Italy, the land of

From Italy to Argentina

In the small town of Cogorno, a slab of fine-grained gray, green or bluish metamorphic rock commemorates Bergoglio's great-grandfather, Vincenzo Sivori. He traveled from Italy to Argentina in the 1800s. There, he raised his family, including his niece Regina Maria Sivori, the mother of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis' tomb will be made of marble from Liguria, Italy, the land of

A Great Gift. A Final Surprise

Pope Francis has often kept his connection to Liguria private, so the mayor, Enrica Sommariva, described her surprise when she heard that the Pope had requested stone from his grandparents' region for his tomb.

Angela Sivori, who still lives in Cogorno, recounted the moment she discovered she was Pope Francis' cousin. She described receiving a phone call from Buenos Aires and a family tree via email. She and her daughter, Cristina, said the Pope's request for the tombstone was a wonderful gift for the family, a final surprise, Cristina said.

Meeting with families

In May 2017, Pope Francis met with his family in Genoa.

Cristina recalled that at the time her mother was 87 years old and that they had no idea they would be meeting Pope Francis until the last minute. “Then, three days ago, we got a call from the Vatican. Seven of us gathered and he welcomed us like a cousin who had come from ‘the end of the world.’” During the meeting, Pope Francis shook hands with his cousins, smiled and exclaimed, “Finally, I meet the Sivoris!”

Pope Francis' tomb will be made of marble from Liguria, Italy, the land of

The people's stone

So there is a deep connection between clay and the late Pope.

Franca Garbaino, President of the Clay District, which includes 18 quarries and 12 companies in the Ligurian hills, described it as not a noble stone, but rather “the stone of the people” and one that “gives warmth.” The district has already agreed to create plaques that will accompany Pope Francis to his eternal rest.

Even before the Pope, the city of Cogorno had connections with Popes Innocent IV and Adrian V. The city, bearing this pleasant surprise, reflects the way Pope Francis lived, until the end of his earthly journey./CNA