A hand-held panorama taken in low light conditions showing the tombs of the popes lying beneath St Peter's in Rome. This picture was taken shortly after the death of Pope John Paul II and vast numbers of people were filing past to see his burial site. It took a while for crowds to clear and get a relatively clear shot of some of the other popes buried here.

Tombs of the Popes in Vatican Grotto - Rome visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Tombs of the Popes in Vatican Grotto' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Roma.

The Vatican Grotto, also called the 'Pope's Crypt, lies underneath St Peter's Basilica and is considered by many to be one of the highlights of a visit to Rome and the Vatican City. Here many of the Popes of the Catholic Church lie interred, and hundreds of thousands of visitors file past to see the tombs. Efforts are made by staff to keep the crowds quiet. The most popular grave is the simple, flat burial site of Pope John Paul II, obscured by people at the far end of the chamber in this image. In all over 90 popes lie interred within these chambers.

Metro: S.Pietro