Mantua Mantegna Square and the Saint Andrew’s Cathedral Facade

The Basilica of Sant'Andrea (Saint Andrew’s Cathedral) of Mantua is a Roman Catholic Cathedral that is considered to be one of the major works of 15th-century Renaissance architecture in the Northern Italy. Commissioned by Ludovico III Gonzaga, the building of the church begun in 1472 according to the designs of Leon Battista Alberti on a site occupied by a Benedictine monastery since 1414. The bell tower was part of the old monastery. The building was finished more than 300 years later. Though later changes and expansions altered Alberti's design, the church is still considered to be one of Alberti's most complete works. It looms over the Mantegna Square.
The façade is largely a brick structure with hardened stucco used for the surface. It is defined by a large central arch, flanked by Corinthian pilasters. There are smaller openings to the right and left of the arch.
An important aspect of Alberti's design was the correspondence between the façade and the interior elevations, both elaborations of the triumphal arch motif, the arcades, like the facade, having alternating high arches and much lower square topped openings.

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