Basilica of Sant'Andrea

The Basilica of Sant'Andrea in Mantua is one of the most consequential buildings of the Italian Renaissance, designed by Leon Battista Alberti and begun in 1472. Alberti deliberately rejected the Gothic tradition, modelling the facade on the Roman triumphal arch and filling the interior with a vast barrel-vaulted nave — a formal language drawn from antiquity that proved enormously influential on generations of architects. The church holds the title of minor basilica and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble of Gonzaga Mantua. It also houses a relic of the Precious Blood of Christ, maintaining its role as a pilgrimage destination since the medieval period. Alberti died the same year construction began; the dome visible today was not completed until the 18th century.