 On 16 July 1228, he was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX (the former cardinal Ugolino di Conti, a friend of Saint Francis and Cardinal Protector of the Order).The next day, the Pope laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi.Francis was buried on 25 May 1230, under the Lower Basilica, but his tomb was soon hidden on orders of Brother Elias to protect it from Saracen invaders.