Description
The Church of Sant'Andrea is a parish church in central Padua, recorded since the 12th century, on Via Sant'Andrea. On its small churchyard stands its best-loved curiosity: the "gatta" (the cat), which is actually a stone lion.
Inside, three aisles on Corinthian columns. The high altar, brought from the demolished church of San Marco, has three marble panels by Francesco Bonazza, among them a Sacrifice of Isaac. The Saint Francis Xavier by Natale Plache is also worth a look.
On the left side the remains of the 12th-century facade emerge, with a large rose window: in 1614 the church was turned around and the entrance moved to the old side.
According to tradition, the gatta di Sant'Andrea is a copy of a crude lion taken as a trophy from the fortress of Este in 1209 and later returned. Knocked down and remade several times, it is said to mark the highest point of the city. Arrigo Boito was baptized in this church in 1842.
Inside, three aisles on Corinthian columns. The high altar, brought from the demolished church of San Marco, has three marble panels by Francesco Bonazza, among them a Sacrifice of Isaac. The Saint Francis Xavier by Natale Plache is also worth a look.
On the left side the remains of the 12th-century facade emerge, with a large rose window: in 1614 the church was turned around and the entrance moved to the old side.
According to tradition, the gatta di Sant'Andrea is a copy of a crude lion taken as a trophy from the fortress of Este in 1209 and later returned. Knocked down and remade several times, it is said to mark the highest point of the city. Arrigo Boito was baptized in this church in 1842.