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Paradoxplace Italy, Spain & Portugal, France and Britain Photo and History Pages Paradoxplace Lazio and Central Italy Galleries
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The large early 1600s church of Sant'Andrea della Valle sits at the noisy traffic intersection between the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II and and Corso del Rinascimento. Its over the top interior has one enormous barrel vaulted nave, which is crowned by the second tallest dome (architect Carlo Maderno) in Rome after Saint Peters.
The fountain on the other side of the Corso provides a welcome safety island from competing streams of traffic. It was reconstructed in 1959 from what remained of a Maderno fountain from another part of town, which had become deconstructed in the late 1930s and 1940s.
The church is probably best known as the setting for Act I of Puccini's greatest Opera "Tosca". Act II is set in the Palazzo Farnese and Act III in Castel Sant'Angelo.
It also contains the undistinguished tombs of the distinguished Sienese Pope Pius II - Aeneus Sylvius Piccolomini (1405 - 1458 - 1464 (59)) and his short (4 week) poped nephew Pius III.
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Looking east, the tomb of Pius II (see below also) is on the left (north) wall, and is faced by that of his nephew Pius III. The photo below shows the scene looking west.
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Links to other pages in Paradoxplace
All original material on this site © Adrian Fletcher 2000-08 - The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission
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