Church Sant'Andrea - Pistoia - Tuscany

The Sant'Andrea Church was founded around the 7th century and was originally much smaller, but only in length: when it was given its current shape in the second half of the 12th century thanks to the architect Buono, the width was not changed, which building that gave special vertical thrust that still forms a not inconsiderable part of its charm. The decoration of the facade, with a marble cladding in two colors, typical of the Romanesque churches of Pistoia, but characterized by a pervasive Pisan influence, was again carried out in the second half of the twelfth century by Gruamonte together with his brother Adeodato , to whom we also owe the entire sculptural repertoire and in particular the architrave of the central portal: Here we see the Voyage of the Magi depicted, a rather rare iconography in such a context and perhaps explained by the fact that the parish church overlooked the Via Francigena, one of the most important medieval pilgrimage routes. The historicizing capitals are the work of Maestro Enrico, while the statuette with the image of Saint Andrew in the lunette above is of a slightly later hand, who was already familiar with Giovanni Pisano's way of working.

At the end of the 15th century, the upper part of the facade was completed and the nave was vaulted. In 1506 Bernardino del Signoraccio was commissioned to fresco the basin of the apse with the walls below, of which only the central part remains today with God the Father in mandorla supported by four angels, the first of a series of interventions involving the most important Pistoiese artistic studios in the first half of the century: Gerino Gerini, his brother Giovan Battista Gerini, Giovan Battista Volponi, known as "lo Scalabrino", perhaps Sollazino and Bernardino Detti were working in Sant'Andrea during those years. In the 17th century, at the initiative of pastor Bartolomeo Cellesi, altars were added along the naves and paintings were ordered from Cristofano Allori and the Genoese Girolamo Scag.

In the parish church is the tronci organ opus 316, built in 1865 for the church of Castellina di Serravalle Pistoiese later transferred to its current location; it is located on the floor in the right aisle, has mechanical transmission and 15 stops.

Willem Vandenameele