With St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, it is one of four basilicas in Rome granted special status by the pope. In his will, he wrote that he had visited the Marian basilica at the beginning and the end of every apostolic trip he took during his 12-year papacy.

The Marian basilica, where the Pontiff used to pray to the Virgin before his trips and where he will be buried, has become a pilgrimage site these days. At the top of the Esquiline Hill, where stone and faith have embraced for centuries,

Pope Francis will be buried April 26 in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he often prayed before and after official trips. In the days following his death, mourners have gathered outside the basilica to pay tribute to the pope known for his humility.