Pope Francis, known for his humility, has made a surprising choice for his final resting place. Instead of following centuries of tradition by being buried alongside his predecessors in St Peter's Basilica, he expressed a clear desire to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, his favourite Roman church.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, first as a priest and then cardinal, consistently visited Santa Maria Maggiore, a key papal basilica in Rome. The fourth-century basilica, known for its unique bell tower, sits atop one of Rome's seven ancient hills, the Esquiline, a place that once served as a burial site for enslaved people during the Roman Empire.
