Sant'Andrea is

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church in Montecarlo,

province of Lucca The province of Lucca () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca. It has an area of and a population of about 390,000. The province contains 33 ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). Geography Situated in northwester ...

, region of

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 ...

, Italy.

History

The church was erected from 1332 to 1334, adjacent to the fortress protecting the newly founded town. The former town of Vivinaia had been razed by the Florentines, and when its former inhabitants moved to this locale, they erected this church dedicated to the same saint of their prior church in their prior neighborhood. It was immediately granted the permission to baptize, a function then withdrawn from the parish church of San Piero in Campo. The exterior facade is made of stone in the lower register, and brick superiorly. The bell-tower was built later. The interior was refurbished in 1783, under the architect Giuseppe Vannetti, and has three naves, with lateral chapels. The Chapel of the Rosary houses the parish museum and has a canvas depicting the ''Madonna and Child'' (1434) by Francesco Anguilla and a statue of St Anthony Abbot (circa 1410). The Chapel of the Madonna del Soccorso has a venerated 15th-century fresco depicting the ''Virgin saving a child from the grip of the devil''. The crypt causes the presbytery to be elevated relative to the rest of the nave. The main altar shelters the relics of San Vincenzino, transferred here from the Catacombs of Santa Ciriaca in Rome. In an 1896 survey, the church had an altarpiece in the second altar to the right depicting a ''Crucifixion with the Madonna and Saints'' by Francesco Bianchi, who also painted canvases depicting ''Sant'Ubaldo'' and ''San Dionisio'' for the church. In the 3rd altar on the right, there is a depiction of ''John the Baptist and Saints'' by

Antonio Franchi Antonio Franchi (14 July 1638 – 18 July 1709) was an Italian painter and art theorist of the 17th century, active mainly in Florence and Lucca. Biography Early life and education Born in Villa Basilica, he is also called ''Il Lucchese''. ...

. At the altar in the crossing is a canvas depicting the ''Martyrdom of St Laurence'' attributed to

Alessandro Tiarini Alessandro Tiarini (20 March 1577 – 8 February 1668) was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. Biography Alessandro Tiarini was born in Bologna. His mother died when he was a child, and he was raised by an aunt. Early on his fa ...

. The choir has a ''Saints Andrew, Peter, and other Fishermen'' by

Innocenzio Ansaldi Innocenzio Ansaldi (Pescia, Tuscany, February 12, 1734 - 1816) was an Italian painter and writer on art. Biography It is not clear that he is related to either Casto Innocenzio Ansaldi (1710 — 1780), a prolific contemporary writer and theolog ...

. In the left crossing is a depiction of the ''Virgin of the Assumption'' by Bastiano da Montecarlo. A chapel here was designed in 1806 by Ansaldi and frescoed by Ignazio da Camajore (Gabrielli Ignazio). The 3rd chapel on the left has an altarpiece depicting the ''Virgin and Saints'' by Francesco Conti. There are also frescoes by Ferdinando Folchi in the church.La patria; geografia dell' Italia
part. 2. Provincia di Massa e Carrara, Luca, Pisa, Livorno, by Gustavo Strafforello (1896); page 115.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrea montecarlo 13th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Tuscany Churches in the province of Lucca