Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale

Bernini regarded this small oval church on the Quirinal Hill as among his finest works and reportedly enjoyed sitting inside it in old age. Built for the Jesuits in the 1660s, it turns the usual church plan on its side, drawing the eye across a broad oval to an altar bathed in golden light from a hidden window. Gilded stucco, coloured marble, and a figure of the martyred Saint Andrew ascending toward the lantern create a unified theatrical effect. Its intimate scale and harmonious design make it a jewel of the Roman Baroque.