Sant'Andrea della Valle

This Roman church is as famous for its role in as a major setting in the Puccini opera Tosca as it is for its baroque art and architecture

The frescoed nave ceiling and dome of Rome's church of Sant'Andrea della Valle.
The frescoed nave ceiling and dome of Sant'Andrea della Valle. (Photo by Tango7174)
The first act of Puccini's opera Tosca is set inside this 17th-century baroque edifice whose dome is second in size only to St. Peter's.

The dome—long the third largest in town, after the Pantheon and St. Peter's—was, like the facade, was designed by Carlo Maderno. It was frescoed in 1608–27 by two former pupils of Carracci.

Giovanni Lanfranco was hired to do the central Assumption of the Virgin. His buddy Domenichino did the Evangelists on the pendatives—as well as the Scenes from the Life of St. Andrew in the coffers of the choir.

The Carlo Maderno facade of Sant'Andrea della Valle
The facade of Sant'Andrea della Valle

The famous humanist Piccolomini popes from Siena, Pius II and Pius III, are both buried inside.

(A later Piccolomini, Donna Costanza Piccolomini d'Aragona, owned a place on this site. Since her titles was "Duchess of Amalfi," when she willed this plot to the Theatine order to build a new church, they dedicated it to Amalfi's patron, St. Andrew.)

Tips & links

Details
ADDRESS

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II/Piazza Vidoni 6
tel. +39-06-686-1339

OPEN

Open daily 7:30am–12:30 and 4:30–7:30pm

ADMISSION

Free

TRANSPORT

Bus: 46, 62, 64, 571, 916, 916F, 70, 81, 87, 186, 492, 628, N5, N15, N20, N6, N7

TOURS
How long does Sant'Andrea della Valle take?

Planning your day: Honestly? In, like, 10 minutes you can wander in and out and be done with it. It's an impressively large church inside, but not particularly engaging. It's famous mostly as a setting for the Puccini opera, and for the sumptuousness of all those painted ceilings.. » Rome itineraries

Mass

You can attend services at Sant'Andrea della Valle Saturdays at 7pm; Sundays at 8am, 9am, 11am, noon, and 7pm.

Sant'Andrea della Valle tours

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    Sant'Andrea della Valle
    ADDRESS

    Corso Vittorio Emanuele II/Piazza Vidoni 6
    tel. +39-06-686-1339

    OPEN

    Open daily 7:30am–12:30 and 4:30–7:30pm

    ADMISSION

    Free

    TRANSPORT

    Bus: 46, 62, 64, 571, 916, 916F, 70, 81, 87, 186, 492, 628, N5, N15, N20, N6, N7

    TOURS


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