The basilica is the shrine of the tomb of its namesake, Lawrence (sometimes spelt "Laurence"), one of the first seven deacons of Rome who was martyred in 258.

Many other saints and Pope Pius IX are also buried at the Basilica, which is the centre of a large and ancient burial complex.

Before the present-day basilica was constructed, the former estate upon which it sits was once home to a small oratory built by Constantine I.

The 13th-century frescoes, which were reconstructed,[clarification needed] depict scenes from the lives of Lawrence and Stephen, both being martyred, young deacons.

There are two ancient sarcophagi in the portico: a Christian one, possibly decorated in the 7th century on an older sarcophagus, has a relief depicting putti (cherubs) picking grapes.

[4] Immediately inside the entrance is the tomb of Cardinal Guglielmo Fieschi, who died in 1256, but was entombed in an ancient sarcophagus, itself being incidentally carved with a relief depicting a pagan marital feast.

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