Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The cave is in a hillside not far from Algeria’s National Library.
The Cave of Cervantes
Former gun position at the Mount Davis Battery.
Mount Davis and Jubilee Batteries
Glymur
Bones on display in the museum.
RSU Anatomy Museum
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
 Fenway Park at night
How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?
about 1 hour ago
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
1 day ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
2 days ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sweden Stockholm The First Grave of René Descartes

The First Grave of René Descartes

Inside this church, a monument honors the first burial site of the famed philosopher.

Stockholm, Sweden

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The First Grave of Descartes   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The First Grave of Descartes   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The First Grave of Descartes   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The First Grave of Descartes   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The First Grave of Descartes   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The First Grave of René Descartes   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Adolf Fredriks kyrkan. The First Grave of René Descartes   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Adolf Fredriks kyrkan interior   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

As a Catholic residing in a mostly Lutheran country, when René Descartes passed away in Sweden, it was difficult to find a place to bury him. 

Originally, his remains were interred at St. Olof's Chapel, a small wooden church far from the city's center. After 16 years, Descartes's remains were retrieved by French government officials and taken back to France. There, his remains received a proper blessing and Catholic burial at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

In 1774, Adolf Fredriks kyrka was finally complete, replacing St. Olof's Chapel. King Gustav III, still a prince at the time, decided to honor the philosopher and the location of his internment while in Sweden. Inside the church, a massive lead memorial was erected on a pillar. It features the face of the philosopher, along with a globe that is symbolically having its veil removed by an angel.

Related Tags

Graves Burial Places Philosophy

Know Before You Go

The church is accessible during the day and photography is allowed.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

Xavixavir

  • Xavixavir

Published

October 1, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://imgur.com/a/37lVkU8
  • https://digitaltmuseum.se/021046504376/cartesii-monument-i-adolf-fredriks-kyrka-i-stockholm-skiss
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descartes#Death
  • https://strangeremains.com/2015/07/23/the-heads-of-these-5-people-were-stolen-from-their-graves/
The First Grave of René Descartes
16 Holländargatan
Stockholm, 111 60
Sweden
59.337951, 18.060139
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Olof Palme Memorial Plaque

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Kungstornen

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

The Anti-Saxophone Sign at SSE

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Stockholm

Stockholm

Sweden

Places 129
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Olof Palme Memorial Plaque

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Kungstornen

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

The Anti-Saxophone Sign at SSE

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Stockholm

Stockholm

Sweden

Places 129
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Cambridge, England

    Ascension Parish Burial Ground

    The graveyard with the highest IQ in Britain.

  • The Giant’s Grave.

    Penrith, England

    Giant’s Grave

    It may not be the final resting place of a literal giant, but the Giant’s Grave is still archaeologically important.

  • The Griffin Monument

    Silver Plume, Colorado

    Griffin Monument

    This cliffside memorial marks the final resting place of a lonely violinist.

  • Geer, Belgium

    Les Cinq Tombes (The Five Graves)

    A unique collection of five Roman burial grounds right next to the road.

  • Kalasha Graveyard

    Batrik, Pakistan

    Kalasha Graveyard

    The caskets in this graveyard have not been opened—they have always been open.

  • The car park during the excavation

    Leicester, England

    King Richard III's Car Park

    More than 500 years after his death, a medieval ruler's remains were found buried under a parking lot.

  • Geneva, Illinois

    Easy Chair Grave

    This carved armchair marks the final resting place for two pals in the Chicago suburbs.

  • The Mandarado yagura cluster.

    Kamakura, Japan

    Mandarado Burial Grottoes

    An eerie cluster of medieval cave-like tombs carved out of a cliff, hidden in a historic mountain pass.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.