San Andrea

church, Mantua, Italy

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July 13, 2026

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The Church of San Andrea is a significant Renaissance church located in Mantua, Italy. Designed by Leon Battista Alberti, its construction began in 1472. This church is considered an early masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and was influential in later religious building designs.12

Mantua itself is a city in northern Italy, historically significant for its rule by the Gonzaga family, under whom it experienced a period of cultural splendor. The city is surrounded by lakes and has a rich history dating back to Etruscan and Roman settlements. The artist Andrea Mantegna, a key figure in the northern Italian Renaissance, spent his later years in Mantua, serving as court painter for the Gonzaga family.13

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Andrea Mantegna
Years as court painter in Mantua
…chapel in the church of S. Andrea at Mantua was dedicated to Mantegna’s memory. Decorated with frescoes, including a dome painted (possibly by Correggio) with paradise symbols related to Mantegna’s Madonna of the Victory, it was finished in 1516. No other 15th-century artist was dignified by having a funerary chapel…
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…chapel in the church of S. Andrea at Mantua was dedicated to Mantegna’s memory. Decorated with frescoes, including a dome painted (possibly by Correggio) with paradise symbols related to Mantegna’s Madonna of the Victory, it was finished in 1516. No other 15th-century artist was dignified by having a funerary chapel…
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Leon Battista Alberti
Contribution to philosophy, science, and the arts of Leon Battista Alberti
…of the majestic Church of San Andrea, which he designed for Ludovico Gonzaga, the humanist Marquess of Mantua, announce the fullness of the High Renaissance style. Alberti was not only the foremost theorist of Renaissance architecture: he had become one of its great practitioners as well.
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…of the majestic Church of San Andrea, which he designed for Ludovico Gonzaga, the humanist Marquess of Mantua, announce the fullness of the High Renaissance style. Alberti was not only the foremost theorist of Renaissance architecture: he had become one of its great practitioners as well.
Read More