The Basilica of Sant’Andrea Della Valle, one of the wonders of Rome

One of the places to which Catholics are most attached, which is located in Piazza Vidoni in the middle of the Eternal City. We are talking about the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, located in the Sant’Eustachio district a few steps from the entrance of our Eitch Borromini. It is a minor basilica, which is managed by the order of the regular Theatine Cherics.

The Basilica from the historical point of view
A marvelous basilica, whose construction was carried out by three important artists, such as Francesco Grimaldi, Giacomo Della Porta and Carlo Moderno. The period was between the end of the 1500s and the middle of the following century. Before the construction of this huge basilica, there was a small and simple church that had been erected as a tribute to San Sebastiano de Via Papa. According to the testimonies that have come down to our days, it was in this place that the martyr was buried.
The works for the construction of the basilica were also possible thanks to a conspicuous investment by Cardinal Alessandro Peretti di Montalto, or the nephew of Pope Sixtus V. To complete the name of the basilica, Palazzo Della Valle, which is located just nearby. The task of completing the work on the basilica was given to Carlo Maderno and the latter was responsible for enlarging the transept and, at the same time, increasing the height of the dome. As for the construction of the Baroque facade, however, there was the hand of Carlo Rainaldi, who built it in the period between 1655 and 1663. On the facade you can see notable chiaroscuro, which are closely linked to the insertion of numerous columns and cornices. On the right side, there is the wonderful bell gable, made of bricks.
It is also interesting to underline how, a little less than three centuries later, more precisely on April 28, 1918, the Franciscan Maximilian Kolbe was ordained as a priest, right inside this basilica, who was then a martyr and was proclaimed a saint.
Despite the period we are going through due to the pandemic, which is clearly putting Rome to the test, there is the possibility of visiting the Basilica of Sant'Andrea Della Valle and many other architectural and historical wonders of the Eternal City in a much more quiet, especially due to the absence of large flows of tourists. The possibility of choosing the structure where to stay more serenely should make you appreciate the privilege of sleeping in a structure like the Eitch Borromini, in the heart of the city, which can be the ideal base for an easy visit to the most famous places in the capital.