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Urban VI was buried in a 3rd century sarcophagus already occupied by a married couple, whose portrait, in a symbolic gesture of dextrarum iunctio¹, is sculpted in the center of the back side. Devoid of the name, for many years it remained exposed to the chaos of the building site of the new basilica. It was recognized and salvaged by Giacomo Grimaldi, the notary of the basilica, who had it placed in the grottoes in 1606.

On the front is a diptych with the figure of genuflected Urban VI, dressed in papal vestments and wearing the tiara, in the act of receiving two big keys from St Peter standing in front of him. Above, the inscription in small characters says: HIC IACET VRBANUS VI PONT. OPT. MAX. (Here lies Urban VI, the great pontiff)

To the sides, inscribed in octagonal frames, are the crests of the pope: the open-winged eagle surmounted by the tiara.

On the shorter sides are two angels holding candelabra, representing the acolytes of the pope. The sculptures are attributed to Salvatorello Salvati from the borough of Trevi. The sarcophagus once sat on the two lion's heads that are now on the sides of the opening in front of the Confessio and was surmounted by architectural elements with an inscription. On top of the sarcophagus was the lid from another tomb with the figure of another pope, perhaps Nicholas III. Now, on the edge of the new lid is the simple inscription: VRBANVS PP VI. Above the sarcophagus is a mediocre medieval high-relief in white marble representing Madonna with Child, from in the aedicula in the church of SS Cosmas and Damian in Banchi that once was administered by the basilica.