Basilica di Sant'Andrea di Mantova

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The Basilica di Sant'Andrea is a Renaissance church in Mantua, Lombardy (Italy).

Designed by Leon Battista Alberti (who partially inspired to ancient models like the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome) for Ludovico II Gonzaga, it was built after his death, starting from 1472: the church, however, was finished only 328 years later. The dome (1765) and other final details were by Filippo Juvarra. The new church occupied the site of a Benedictine monastery, of which the bell tower (1414) remains.

The façade is based on the scheme of Roman triumphal arches. It contains a large central arch, flanked on either side by a Corinthian pilaster. Outside the pilasters are symmetrically placed archways. These archways are each flanked by a pediment resembling those of a Roman temple.

For the interior Alberti chose to inspire to Roman basilica plan, instead of the schemes more popular at the times for churches. The single nave has a rounded vault, with a massive dome (added in the 18th century) at the intersection of the cross. The nave and the transept have the same height. The walls are decorated by frescoes from secondary artists of 18th-19th centuries.

The crypt houses the relic called Preziosissimo Sangue di Cristo ("Highly Precious Blood of Christ"), which, according to the tradition, was brought to Mantua by the Roman centurion Longinus. One of the chapels houses the tomb of great painter Andrea Mantegna, with a bronze figure of him, by Gianmarco Cavalli. Other artworks in the chapels include frescoes of Giulio Romano's school (a work by Giulio is currently a copy) and by Correggio.