Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saint Andrew's at the Quirinal is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome
, built for of 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 received the commission in 1658 and the church was constructed by 1661, although the interior decoration was not finished until 1670. The site previously accommodated a 16th century church, Sant'Andrea a Montecavallo. Commissioned by former Cardinal Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili
, with the approval of Pope Alexander VII
, Sant'Andrea was the third Jesuit church constructed in Rome, after the Church of the Gesù
and Sant'Ignazio
. It was to serve the Jesuit novitiate
, which was founded in 1566. Bernini considered the church one of his most perfect works; his son, Domenico, recalled that in his later years, Bernini spent hours sitting inside it, appreciating what he had achieved .
The present Cardinal Priest of the Titulus San Andrea in Quirinali is Odilo Scherer
.
further down the road. Unlike San Carlo, Sant’Andrea is set back from the street and the space outside the church is enclosed by low curved quadrant walls. An oval cylinder encases the dome, and large volutes transfer the lateral thrust. The main façade to the street has an aedicular pedimented frame at the center of which a semicircular porch with two Ionic columns marks the main entrance. Above the porch entablature is the heraldic coat of arms of the Pamphili patron.
Inside, the main entrance is located on the short axis of the church and directly faces the high altar. The oval form of the main congregational space of the church is defined by the wall, pilasters and entablature, which frame the side chapels, and the golden dome above. Large paired columns supporting a curved pediment differentiate the recessed space of the high altar from the congregational space.
In contrast to the dark side chapels, the high altar niche is well lit from a hidden source and becomes the main visual focus of the lower part of the interior. As a result, the congregation effectively become ‘witnesses’ to the theatrical narrative of St Andrew which begins in the High Altar chapel and culminates in the dome. Over the High Altar is an oil painting of the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew (1668) by French painter Guillaume Courtois
, a depiction which shows Andrew tied to the diagonals of the form of the cross on which he was crucified. Andrew appears for a second time as if he were breaking through the curved pediment of the edicule frame to the high altar; this time he is represented by a white marble sculpture carved by Antonio Raggi
. He is shown on a cloud, designating a heavenly appearance, and, with his arm outstretched and gaze cast upwards, he indicates that he is on his way to Heaven as represented by the golden dome, the stucco cherubim heads clustered around the opening to the lantern, and the lantern vault with the Dove of the Holy Ghost . This dramatic visual narrative is sustained not only upwards through the space of the church but employs different artistic modes. Bernini combined painting, sculpture and architecture into a synthesis to create visually the idea of the apotheosis of St Andrew in this spiritual theater. He used a similar synthesis of artistic modes in his design of the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa
in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria
. This synthesis has been referred to as the ‘unity of the visual arts’ .
of Jesus Christ by Giacinto Brandi
: a Deposition, a Flagellation, and a Road to Calvary (1682). To the left of the main altar, the Chapel of Saint Stanislaus Kostka houses the shrine of the saint, an urn of bronze and lapis lazuli
made in 1716. The painting above the funerary monument Madonna with child and Saint Stanislaus Kostka is by Carlo Maratta
(1687) and a ceiling fresco of Glory of the Saints by Giovanni Odazzi
. The last chapel, dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, houses the paintings Madonna and child and Saints and Adoration of Kings and Shepherds by Ludovico Mazzanti
, with a ceiling with Glory of the Angels by Giuseppe Chiari.
Between the Chapel St Stanislaus Kostka and the main altar is a side chapel with a large crucifix. It houses the tomb of King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia and Piedmont, who abdicated in 1815 to enter the Society of Jesus
and then lived in the Jesuit novitiate, adjacent to the church, until his death in 1819.
The rooms of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
have been reconstructed next to the church. A sculpture in polychrome marble by Pierre Legros (1702-03), depicts the dying saint. Fr. Andrea Pozzo
has painted scenes from the life of the saint in the rooms. The canvas painting above the head of Stanislas was painted by Tommaso Minardi in 1825 and covers some older, deteriorated frescos.
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, built for of the Jesuit seminary on the Quirinal Hill
Quirinal Hill
The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian Head of State, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has come to stand for the Italian President.- History :It was...
.
The church of Sant'Andrea, an important example of Roman Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
architecture, was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age and also a prominent architect...
with Giovanni de'Rossi. Bernini received the commission in 1658 and the church was constructed by 1661, although the interior decoration was not finished until 1670. The site previously accommodated a 16th century church, Sant'Andrea a Montecavallo. Commissioned by former Cardinal Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili
Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili
Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and later nobleman of the Pamphili family. His name is often spelled with the final long i orthography; Pamphilj.-Early life:...
, with the approval of Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
, Sant'Andrea was the third Jesuit church constructed in Rome, after the Church of the Gesù
Church of the Gesu
The Church of the Gesù is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. Officially named , its facade is "the first truly baroque façade", introducing the baroque style into architecture ,. The church served as model for innumerable Jesuit...
and Sant'Ignazio
Sant'Ignazio
The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius is Roman Catholic titular church dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, located in Rome, Italy...
. It was to serve the Jesuit novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
, which was founded in 1566. Bernini considered the church one of his most perfect works; his son, Domenico, recalled that in his later years, Bernini spent hours sitting inside it, appreciating what he had achieved .
The present Cardinal Priest of the Titulus San Andrea in Quirinali is Odilo Scherer
Odilo Scherer
Odilo Pedro Scherer is a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of São Paulo, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Early life and ordination:...
.
Exterior
The main façade of the church faces onto the Via del Quirinale (formerly the Via Pia), as does Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro FontaneSan Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
The Church of Saint Charles at the Four Fountains is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, Italy. Designed by the architect Francesco Borromini, it was his first independent commission. It is an iconic masterpiece of Baroque architecture, built as part of a complex of monastic buildings on the Quirinal...
further down the road. Unlike San Carlo, Sant’Andrea is set back from the street and the space outside the church is enclosed by low curved quadrant walls. An oval cylinder encases the dome, and large volutes transfer the lateral thrust. The main façade to the street has an aedicular pedimented frame at the center of which a semicircular porch with two Ionic columns marks the main entrance. Above the porch entablature is the heraldic coat of arms of the Pamphili patron.
Interior
In contrast to the dark side chapels, the high altar niche is well lit from a hidden source and becomes the main visual focus of the lower part of the interior. As a result, the congregation effectively become ‘witnesses’ to the theatrical narrative of St Andrew which begins in the High Altar chapel and culminates in the dome. Over the High Altar is an oil painting of the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew (1668) by French painter Guillaume Courtois
Guillaume Courtois
Guillaume Courtois , called "Il Borgognone", was a French painter and etcher, the brother of the Jesuit painter Jacques Courtois. His working career was spent in Rome. He is also known as Guglielmo Cortese....
, a depiction which shows Andrew tied to the diagonals of the form of the cross on which he was crucified. Andrew appears for a second time as if he were breaking through the curved pediment of the edicule frame to the high altar; this time he is represented by a white marble sculpture carved by Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi , also called Antonio Lombardo, was a sculptor of the Roman Baroque, originating from Ticino.-Biography:He was born in Vico Morcote on the Lake Lugano. His mentor in Rome for nearly three decades was Gianlorenzo Bernini...
. He is shown on a cloud, designating a heavenly appearance, and, with his arm outstretched and gaze cast upwards, he indicates that he is on his way to Heaven as represented by the golden dome, the stucco cherubim heads clustered around the opening to the lantern, and the lantern vault with the Dove of the Holy Ghost . This dramatic visual narrative is sustained not only upwards through the space of the church but employs different artistic modes. Bernini combined painting, sculpture and architecture into a synthesis to create visually the idea of the apotheosis of St Andrew in this spiritual theater. He used a similar synthesis of artistic modes in his design of the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa
Ecstasy of Saint Theresa
Ecstasy of Saint Theresa is a Czech band formed in 1990 by Jan Muchow, Jan Gregar, Petr Wegner and Irna Libowitz. Early shoegaze influences included Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins, and My Bloody Valentine....
in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria
Santa Maria della Vittoria
Santa Maria della Vittoria is a roman catholic titular church and minor basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in Rome, Italy. The church is known for the masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the Cornaro Chapel, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa....
. This synthesis has been referred to as the ‘unity of the visual arts’ .
Chapels
First chapel on the right, the Chapel of St Francis Xavier houses three canvases by Baciccio depicting the baptism, preaching and Death of St Francis Xavier (1705). In the ceiling, Filippo Bracci painted The Glory of St Francis Xavier. The Chapel of the Passion, also known as the Chapel of the Flagellation, has three canvases with scenes from the PassionPassion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
of Jesus Christ by Giacinto Brandi
Giacinto Brandi
Giacinto Brandi was an Italian painter of the Baroque era, active mainly in Rome and Naples.Born in Poli, in the Lazio, he was trained in Rome in the studio of Alessandro Algardi, a noted sculptor, who noted that Brandi was more suited to painting. He joined the studio of Giovanni Giacomo Sementi...
: a Deposition, a Flagellation, and a Road to Calvary (1682). To the left of the main altar, the Chapel of Saint Stanislaus Kostka houses the shrine of the saint, an urn of bronze and lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color....
made in 1716. The painting above the funerary monument Madonna with child and Saint Stanislaus Kostka is by Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...
(1687) and a ceiling fresco of Glory of the Saints by Giovanni Odazzi
Giovanni Odazzi
Giovanni Odazzi was an Italian painter and etcher of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome.He was a pupil of Ciro Ferri, then worked under the guidance of Giovanni Battista Gaulli. He also worked with Cornelis Bloemaert...
. The last chapel, dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, houses the paintings Madonna and child and Saints and Adoration of Kings and Shepherds by Ludovico Mazzanti
Ludovico Mazzanti
Ludovico Mazzanti was an Italian painter.-External links:*http://www.artnet.com/artist/649656/ludovico-mazzanti.html...
, with a ceiling with Glory of the Angels by Giuseppe Chiari.
Between the Chapel St Stanislaus Kostka and the main altar is a side chapel with a large crucifix. It houses the tomb of King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia and Piedmont, who abdicated in 1815 to enter the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
and then lived in the Jesuit novitiate, adjacent to the church, until his death in 1819.
Burials
- Charles Emmanuel IV of SardiniaCharles Emmanuel IV of SardiniaCharles Emmanuel IV was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802. He abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I...
and Piedmont - Shrine of St Stanislaus KostkaStanislaus KostkaStanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. In the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka....
- Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne, known as Cardinal de BouillonCardinal de BouillonEmmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French prelate and diplomat, known as the Cardinal de Bouillon.-Biography:...
Rooms of St Stanislaus Kostka in the Jesuit novitiate
Stanislaus Kostka
Stanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. In the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka....
have been reconstructed next to the church. A sculpture in polychrome marble by Pierre Legros (1702-03), depicts the dying saint. Fr. Andrea Pozzo
Andrea Pozzo
Andrea Pozzo was an Italian Jesuit Brother, Baroque painter and architect, decorator, stage designer, and art theoretician. He was best known for his grandiose frescoes using illusionistic technique called quadratura, in which architecture and fancy are intermixed...
has painted scenes from the life of the saint in the rooms. The canvas painting above the head of Stanislas was painted by Tommaso Minardi in 1825 and covers some older, deteriorated frescos.
List of Cardinal Priests
- Adam Kozłowiecki (21 February 1998 – 28 September 2007)
- Odilo SchererOdilo SchererOdilo Pedro Scherer is a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of São Paulo, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Early life and ordination:...
(24 November 2007 - Present)
See also
There are two other major Sant'Andrea churches in Rome:- Sant'Andrea delle FratteSant'Andrea delle FratteSant'Andrea delle Fratte is a 17th-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to St. Andrew. The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Andreae Apostoli de Hortis is Ennio Antonelli....
- Sant'Andrea della ValleSant'Andrea della ValleSant'Andrea della Valle is a basilica church in Rome, Italy, in the rione of Sant'Eustachio. The basilica is the general seat for the religious order of the Theatines.-Overview:...
External links
- http://www.nerone.cc/nerone/lectures/sandrea.htm
- http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/andrea/andrea.html
- http://www.williams.edu/art/architectureVR/santAndreaAlQuirinale/
- http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Sant_Andrea_al_Quirinale.html
- http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/Sant'Andrea_al_Quirinale
- Romecity entry