Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale

The Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome, Italy, built for the Jesuit seminary on the Quirinal Hill.

The church of Sant'Andrea, an important example of Roman Baroque architecture, was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini with Giovanni de'Rossi. Bernini was commissioned in 1658 and the church was built in 1661, although the interior decoration was not finished until 1670. The site previously housed a 16th century church, Sant'Andrea a Montecavallo.

Among the numerous and beautiful churches in Rome, today we point out the church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, a baroque "pearl" that is worth visiting if you are near the Quirinale.

Located in via del Quirinale in front of the long side of the Palazzo, the church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale was built between 1658 and 1670 and was the first to be designed and built entirely by Gian Lorenzo Bernini on commission from Pope Alexander VII and by Cardinal Camillo Pamphilj. It was not a new construction but the transformation of an ancient previous building, a sixteenth-century church dedicated to S. Andrea in Montecavallo and formerly the Jesuit novitiate church.

The interior of the church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale consists of two chapels on each side and, in perfect Baroque style, is adorned with rare polychrome marble, stucco and gilding and a splendid main chapel, containing an altar in gilded bronze and lapis lazuli. which was designed by Bernini himself and adorned with a beautiful golden halo with angels and cherubs by Antonio Raggi.

Towards the high dome a sculptural group with "S. Andrea Crocifisso "which overlooks the altar; the other stuccos present are by Stefano Sassi, Rimelli and Castelli, all pupils of Bernini. We point out the presence of some canvases by Baciccio and the altarpiece illuminated by a hidden light source, according to an expedient borrowed from the theatrical scenography that Gian Lorenzo Bernini had already used on other occasions.

The small dome is gilded coffered and takes up the elliptical shape, as well as the lantern. Small curiosities: the King of Sardinia Carlo Emanuele IV is buried inside the church. Furthermore, still on Via del Quirinale, it is possible to admire the small church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane by Francesco Borromini, Bernini's rival, thus having the opportunity to compare the different solutions of a similar theme used by the two architects, that of oval plant.

Map: Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale

vCard Info:

Address: Via del Quirinale, 30, 00187
Roma (RM) Lazio
Latitude: 41.90070391516155
Longitude: 12.489320039749146
Site: https://santandrea.gesuiti.it/...

vCard created by: CHO.earth
Currently owned by: CHO.earth

Type: Building
Function: Church
Creation date:
Last update: 07/07/2022