Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
From Churches of Rome Wiki
| Sant'Andrea delle Fratte | |
|---|---|
| | |
| English name: | St Andrew of the Thickets |
| Dedication: | Andrew the Apostle |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Type: | Titular church |
| Clergy: | Order of Minims |
| Titular church | Ennio Antonelli |
| Built: | |
| Architect(s): | Francesco Borromini |
| Artists: | Giovanni Battista Lenardi, Lazarro Baldi, Francesco Trevisani, Pasquale Marini, Gian Lorenzo Bernini |
| Contact data | |
| Address: | 1 Via Sant'Andrea delle Fratte |
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte is a church dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle.
[edit] History
The first church here was built in the 12th century. The site was at that time on the edge of the city, explaining its appellation. Its name originates from a combination of two main factors: devotion to St. Andrew the Apostle and the fact that the church was built on an area covered with vegetation known as Fratte (overgrown vegetation).
It was probably rebuilt in the 15th century, and was for some time the Scottish national church. After the Reformation, it was given to the Order of Minims, who still serve it.
It was rebuilt again from 1612, partly by Francesco Borromini, who was commissioned by the Marchese Paolo del Bufalo to work on the church in the years 1653–1665.
The composer Alessandro Scarlatti was married here in 1678.
The church was made a cardinalitial title by Pope John XXIII in 1960, with Paolo Marella as the first titular priest. The next to last titular priest was Thomas Joseph Winning, who was appointed in 1994 and died in 2001, while the present titular is Ennio Antonelli, who was created cardinal on 21 October 2003.
[edit] Exterior
The bell-tower and dome are the work of Borromini, completed 1653. They can best be seen from Via Capo le Case.
The cloister has a nice garden with orange trees and cypresses.
[edit] Interior
In one of the chapels, the French Jew Alphonse Ratisbonne is said to have received an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 20 January 1842. He immediately converted and later founded the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion, an order working to convert Jews.
In the second chapel on the right is the tomb of Judith Falconnet (died 1856), with a sculpture by Harriet Goddhue Hosmer.
The epitaph of the Swiss Neo-Classical painter Angelica Kaufmann (1741–1807), a central figure among the expatriate artists in Rome, can be seen to the left of the side door.
The apse and dome were, with the exception of the three large paintings in the apse, decorated by by Pasquale Marini in the 17th century. The large paintings in the apse depict the Crucifixion, the Martyrdom of St Andrew and Christ feeding the multitudes. They were made by Giovanni Battista Lenardi, Lazarro Baldi and Francesco Trevisani.
Two marble angels made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the Ponte Sant'Angelo are kept here, near the high altar. They are the only angels for that project that were made by him; the ones on the bridge were made by his pupils. As the angels on the bridge, they carry symbols of Our Lord's Passion, the scroll and the Crown of Thorns.
