Sant'Andrea della Valle

Sant'Andrea della Valle is a 17th-century church and minor basilica in central Rome, built by the Theatine order. It is one of several large Counter-Reformation preaching churches in the historic center. The church is known for its Baroque facade and its dome, which was for a long time the third largest in Rome after St. Peter's and the Pantheon.

Don't miss

• Lanfranco's dome fresco (completed 1627), which set the model for dome decorations in the following decades.
• The Ginetti Chapel with a marble relief by Antonio Raggi depicting an angel urging the Holy Family to flee to Egypt.
• The Strozzi Chapel with bronze copies of Michelangelo's Pietà, Leah, and Rachel.
• The Chapel of St Andrew Avellino with a painting by Giovanni Lanfranco and the dome's Glory of Paradise frescoes.
• The Barberini Chapel with an altarpiece by Domenico Cresti and sculptures by Pietro Bernini and Francesco Mochi.
• The apse frescoes by Domenichino and Mattia Preti depicting scenes from the life of Saint Andrew.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Sant'Andrea della Valle

Cheapest way inIn-depth Guided Tour of St. Peter's Basilica & Square4.5★ · 58 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$29 per personSee dates →Most bookedRome: Colosseum with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill + Arena Optional4.6★ · 1,430 travelers~3 hoursFrom$35 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleRome to Fiumicino Airport Rome (FCO) - Departure Private Transfer4.6★ · 10 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$49 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The first act of Puccini's opera Tosca is set in this church.
• The basilica has a two-manual, 36-stop pipe organ; the organist can often be heard practicing on weekday afternoons.
• In front of the church is a fountain by Carlo Maderno, originally located in the now-destroyed Piazza Scossacavalli.

A bit of history

The church was planned after Donna Costanza Piccolomini d'Aragona bequeathed her palace and an adjacent church to the Theatines in 1582. Work began around 1590 under Giacomo della Porta and Pier Paolo Olivieri, then restarted in 1608 with a more grandiose plan by Carlo Maderno, financed by an enormous endowment of over 150,000 gold scudi. The interior was completed by 1650.