Sant'Andrea al Quirinale is the church of the Jesuit novitiate.
For reference, a plan of the church is available
here.
The first church on the site, Sant'Andrea in Monte Cavallo, was a parish church. It was donated to the General of the
Jesuits, St Francis Borgia, by Andrea Croce, Bishop of Tivoli, in the 16th century, and became the church of the Society's
noviciate.
The present church for the Jesuit seminary on the Quirinal was begun in 1658 with funds provided by
Cardinal Camillo Pamphilj.
The project was conceived and designed by
Gian Lorenzo Bernini who, together with his pupil
Mattia De Rossi,
supervised the construction of the church. It took twenty years to build (1658-1678). Almost immediately there were problems.
The small site chosen for the new church restricted the design.
Bernini resolved the problem, as his rival
Borromini had done
further along the road at
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, by designing an oval church.
The church is considered one of the finest examples of Roman Baroque with its superb balance and harmony in the choice of
materials and the flow of light. It is said that
Bernini did not charge a fee for designing this church, and his only payment
was a daily donation of bread from the noviciate's oven.
Bernini considered it as his only perfect work.
Among those who worshipped here are St Aloysius Gonzaga, St Stanislaus Kostka and St Robert Bellarmine.
Bernini often
came to this church for Mass in his old age.
