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Don’t you love it when you find something special without even trying?
Recently, while in Rome, I was out for a walk headed toward nowhere in particular. Enjoying a gelato, the sunshine and my leisurely stroll, I was paying attention to the intricate and elegant architecture of the area.
Walking along the Via del Quirinale, I noticed a church on my left. Noticing people entering, I decided to take a look inside.
The Church of Sant’ Andrea al Quirinal is a Roman Catholic church built for the Jesuit seminary on the Quirinal Hill. Commissioned in 1658, the church was constructed in 1661 and designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who considered it one of his most perfect works.
And perfect it was!
A rotunda-type oval church, with the high altar placed on the short axis, makes it much closer to the entrance than most churches and the first thing I set my eyes upon. Drawn in due to the placement, my gaze was transfixed on the red marble columns flanking the incredible, breathtaking altar and the painting of The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew by Guillaume Courtois, topped with three-dimensional golden cherubs and a marble figure of Saint Andrew resting on the pediment high above the altar, arm outstretched and gazing upward.
Finally, tearing myself away, I began to inspect each of the chapels, moving to the right of the altar. The Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, showcases three canvases by Baciccio depicting the Baptism, Preaching and Death of St. Francis Xavier. Gazing upward, the ceiling presents a painting of The Glory of St. Francis Xavier by Filippo Bracci.
The Chapel of the Passion, has three canvases with scenes from the Passion of Jesus Christ by Giacinto Brandi and the chapel to the left of the altar, The Chapel of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, houses the shrine of the saint, a bronze and lapis lazuli urn and a painting of the Madonna With Child and Saint Stanislaus Kostka. Make sure to check out the ceiling fresco by Govanni Odazzi.
Another chapel is dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola and showcases paintings by Ludovico Mazzanti of the Madonna and Child and Saints and Adoration of Kings and Shepherds. Another magnificent ceiling painting, Glory of the Angels, commanded my attention here also.
The final altar, located between the Chapel of Saint Stanislaus Kostka caught my eye with the large crucifix. In this chapel, I discovered the tomb of King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia and Piedmont, who abdicated in 1815 to enter the Society of Jesus and lived in the Jesuit novitiate, adjacent to the church, until his death in 1819.
Many other intricately carved statues grace the pediments above the chapels and the domed ceiling is centered with an oculus allowing the church to be lighted naturally. Bringing my attention to the floor, I was entranced by the amazing inlaid mosaics which mirrors the elliptical dome overhead. Bernini did not want large funerary monuments within the church to ruin the architectural lines, so the mosaics mark the grave of those such as Cardinal Giambattista Spinola.
As I was moving through the church, I noticed a sign near a doorway. As if there wasn’t enough to captivate my attention, I discovered that for a small fee, I could visit the Rooms of Saint Stanislaus Kostka in the Jesuit novitiate, attached to the church, as well as the sacristy, which has been described as the most beautiful in the city. Not seeing many people heading that way, I decided that my curiosity needed to be satisfied.
Paying the sacristan on duty, I was then directed me up a stairway. Entering a small room, I discovered paintings and information about Saint Stanislaus Kostka. As I walked into the rooms that the saint spent his final years, what caught my eye…and actually, caught me a bit off guard…was a life-size marble statue depicting the dying saint, designed by Pierre Legros. Portrayed at the age of 18, the saint rests on a marble bed and holds in one hand, a small framed image of the Virgin Mary and a real rosary in the other. Surrounded by paintings from his life, the Baroque decor is even more engaging, painted deep red and trimmed in an abundance of gold.
Relics belonging to the saint are displayed in a case the left and two altars fill the wall spaces. The rooms were so mesmerizing and yet so intimate, not something you get to experience in the normal course of a church visit.
After my descent to the bottom level, I was greeted once again by the sacristan, who then led me into the sacristy and turned on the interior lights. As my eyes adjusted, I thought, “Indeed, this could be one of the most beautiful in Rome.” The dark wood altarpiece displays a painting, Immaculate Conception, by Andrea Pozzo, but the ceiling is the magnificent that I have ever seen. The multi-dimensional fresco depicts the Apotheosis of St. Andrew by Govanni de Brosso and is worthy of more than a few minutes of anyone’s time. Take a seat and stay awhile!
Finally, as my visit was drawing to a close, I took one more round in the church and then stepped outside to take a better look at the exterior. A simple beauty, marked by a semicircular porch with two Ionic columns invites visitors in to its exaggerated beauty on the inside.
As I stood contemplating what I had just witnessed, a couple walked up near me and read about the church from a guide book they were carrying. Seeming a bit hesitant about whether or not to take the time to enter, I encouraged them to do so. To not enter and miss one of Rome’s treasures would be just as a Jesuit devotee dying at the young age of 18.
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Sant’Andrea al Quirinale
- Address: Via del Quirinale 29.
- Hours: Monday-Friday 0830-1200, 1500-1900. Saturday and Sunday 0900-1200, 1530-1900.
- Admission: free. €2.00 for entrance to Chapel of St. Stanislov and sacristy.
- Getting There: From the Fontane del Tritone near the Barberini Metro station, walk up Via delle Qattro Fontane. Turn right at Via del Quirinale; pass the church San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane (built by Bernini’s rival, Borromini). Pass the park and Sant’Andrea is on the left at the end of the gardens.