It was commissioned by Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai and built to designs by Leon Battista Alberti in imitation or emulation of the Holy Sepulchre in the Anastasis in Jerusalem.

[3] The sepulchre has two inscriptions: one, on a square panel above the door, reads: meaning approximately "Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, in order that his salvation might be prayed for from where, through Christ, the resurrection of all was achieved, had this temple built in the shape of the tomb in Jerusalem [in] 1467".

The other inscription runs round the top of the building and reads: YHESVM QVERITIS NAZARENVM CRVCIFIXVM SURREXIT NON EST HIC ECCE LOCVS VBI POSVERVNT EVMor approximately "you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he rose, he is not here; this is the place where they put him".

The exterior walls are decorated with 30 square panels of marble inlay work, with mainly vegetal and geometrical patterns.

[4] The burial chamber takes the entire interior space of the sacellum, with a marble slab placed against its southern wall.