The is an 11th-century (rural church) in

Cercina Cercina () is a ''frazione'' (rural borough) of the municipality of Sesto Fiorentino, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, central Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Euro ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, central

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The tiny Romanesque baptismal church (Pieve) of Sant'Andrea has its origins before the eleventh century as San Gerusalemme di Cersino; by the mid-eleventh century it is referred to as Sant'Andrea. It was patronized by the family of Cattani di Cercina e di Castiglioni, as well as the Adimari, Figiovanni and others. A miraculous wooden sculpture of the Virgin, perhaps from the twelfth century, was the object of wide veneration, particularly by a lay company of Florence, which annually came in procession. Sometime partakers in this procession were the archbishop, St. Antoninus, and Pope Leo X, as well as members of the Medici family. Initiated in Romanesque style, it was later remade. It has a sturdy bell tower with single and double

mullioned window A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

s. The interior is on a nave, and houses fragments of 14th-century frescoes (''St. Anthony'' and one ''Female Saint''). Other painting works include a ''Virgin Enthonred with Child between Sts. Andrew and John the Baptist'' (16th century), the ''Resurrection of Christ between Sts. Anthony of Padua'', ''Mary Magdalene'' and ''Catherine of Alexandria'' by

Francesco Curradi Francesco Curradi or Currado (15 November 1570 – 1661) was an Italian painter of the style described as Counter-''Maniera'' or Counter-Mannerism, born and active in Florence. Biography Curradi was the son of a jeweller, Taddeo. He trained un ...

, and two panels with a ''Nativity between Sts. Lucy and Jerome'' and ''Massacre of the Innocents''. The marble

baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

dates to 1613, while the

stoup A holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing holy water which is generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is often placed at the base of a crucifix or other Christian art. It is used in Catholic, as well as many Lutheran and Anglica ...

, also in marble, is from 1540.

Domenico Ghirlandaio Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio (also spelt as Ghirlandajo), was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of the so-c ...

painted the murals the occupy the Aspe at the head of the right aisle, to the right of the main altar. The frescoes were walled up sometime in the seventeenth century when the apses were closed and the main chapel enlarged. The frescoes were uncovered in 1923. They were last restored in 1969.

References

Romanesque architecture in Tuscany 11th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Churches in the Metropolitan City of Florence Paintings of John the Baptist Paintings of the Resurrection of Christ Paintings of Mary Magdalene Paintings of Anthony of Padua Paintings of Catherine of Alexandria Nativity of Jesus in art Paintings of Jerome Paintings of Saint Lucy Paintings of Saint Barbara Paintings of Anthony the Great Paintings of the Massacre of the Innocents Paintings of the Nativity of Jesus {{Tuscany-RC-church-stub