The
Basilica of Saint Andrea Della Valle was
designed by Pier Paolo Olivieri in the
year 1590. Construction started shortly
afterwards, but the building wasn’t
completed until 1650. The church was made
a cardinalitial title by Pope John XXII
in 1960, thus turning what was to be a
church into a basilica. The basilica was
given a Baroque style façade, which
has five lower and three upper bays, divided
by pairs of projecting columns. There
was also a special dome constructed in
the roof, which is about 80 meters off
the floor. It is filled with inspirational
paintings, and is some 16 meters across.
The basilica houses the renaissance tombs
of Popes Pius II (died 1464) and Pius
III (died 1503). Both Tombs were originally
located in St Peter’s Basilica,
but were brought to St. Andrea Della Valle
in 1614.
Outside
the building, in front of the main entranceway,
is the St. Andrea Della Valle Piazza.
There is a stature in the Piazza named
the Fontana di Sant'Andrea della Valle,
which was built in 1614. Built by Carlo
Maderno, it is now a guide for people
to park their cars. Part of the fountain
originally stood in a central square of
Rione XIV, which was demolished in the
1930s and moved to the site in the 1950s.
Piazza
St. Andrea Della Valle Travel
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