Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle Tours and Tickets

The 17th-century Basilica di Sant’Andrea is a Catholic church on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the main arteries that cuts through the historic center. The church is notable for its Baroque art and architecture and its soaring dome, one of the highest in Rome.

Yes, besides being an active place of worship, this massive church is an important tourist attraction. You can enter to admire its gilded Baroque nave and side chapels designed by some of the most influential architects of the time, plus its remarkable dome and collection of noble funerary monuments.

No, like all of Rome’s churches—including St. Peter’s Basilica—the Basilica di Sant’Andrea della Valle is free to visit. You can take in museum-quality masterpieces like frescoes by Giovanni Lanfranco and Domenichino, funerary monuments dedicated to two popes, and the Barberini Chapel featured in Puccini’s opera Tosca all for free.

Yes, photography without flash is allowed inside the church. Take care not to disturb any religious services being held, and visit in the afternoon for the best light to capture the frescoes inside the dome. If you want to photograph the famous cherubs at the base of the dome’s lantern—said to have been designed by Borromini—bring a zoom lens.

Sant’Andrea della Valle is located in the heart of Rome’s historic center, just steps from blockbuster sights like Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon. It is also near the Sacred Area of Largo Torre Argentina, an archaeological site containing the remains of four temples and the spot where Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Yes, the Basilica is an important religious and cultural sight. Many guided tours of Rome focused on the city’s top churches and Baroque treasures include a stop to tour the interiors. Some guided tours of Rome’s historic center also include Sant’Andrea della Valle but only from the outside.