April 2017
Mantua is one of those surprise cities in Italy that no one talks much about but is filled with incredible artistic and historical treasures. Chief among the things to see is the Basilica of St. Andrew.
The Basilica of Sant'Andrea is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral and minor basilica in Mantua, Lombardy. It is one of the major works of 15th-century Renaissance architecture in Northern Italy. Commissioned by Ludovico III Gonzaga, the church was begun in 1472 according to designs by Leon Battista Alberti on a site occupied by a Benedictine monastery, of which the bell tower (1414) remains. The building, however, was only finished 328 years later.
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The façade, built abutting a pre-existing bell tower, is based on the scheme of the ancient Arch of Trajan at Ancona. It is largely a brick structure with hardened stucco used for the surface. It is defined by a large central arch, flanked by Corinthian pilasters.
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The purpose of the new building was to receive the pilgrims for the feast of Ascension when a vial, that the faithful believe contains the Blood of Christ, is brought up from the crypt below through a hole in the floor located directly under the dome. The relic, called Preziosissimo Sangue di Cristo ("Most Precious Blood of Christ"), which is preserved in Sacred Vessels. According to tradition the blood was brought to the city by the Roman centurion Longinus, who had scooped up the earth containing the blood at the foot of the cross.
(Wikipedia)
Just across from the Ducal Palace of the Gonzagas (definitely one of the sleeper attractions of Italy. Note: I missed seeing the best bit of it because I didn't book an advance ticket - off season!!), the Cathedral/Basilica was the representation of the might of the Gonzagas. "Gonzaga" to me was just a common high school name in the USA - that historical clan had owned a whole city in Italy! Mantua at its peak was an important city which required an over the top church (complete with an astounding relic). Saint Andrews Basilica was just that - a "take the breath away" religious structure (complete with a vial of Christ's blood, verified by the Pope). That was kind of hard to beat.
Mantua for me (along with Padua) was one of twin important cities in northern Italy that seem to have fallen into tourist obscurity. The Ducal Palace was off the chart, so I was not surprised the main church of the city would be so beautiful. St Andrews was more than lovely, though - it literally made me gasp. In a country where I visited church after church - that is saying a lot.