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The first church of Sant’Andrea dates back to before the Mille certainly, perhaps at the time of Constantine.
The building was erected on the site of an earlier temple dedicated to Juno Erbana. It is probably the oldest Christian church of Orvieto.
Between the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Orvieto was in full swing and the church had become too cramped. Then it was provided to expand it, particularly in the apse, with the construction of a double transept, supported by large pillars mixtilinear, on which it bases the pointed arches. The result was a fine example of Romanesque art. In the years between 1926 and 1930, designed by Gustavo Giovannoni, the building underwent extensive restoration.
Before there were Duomo, St. Andrew had a great importance in the religious and political life of the city. There were celebrated the most important events: in 1125, he gathered supporters of the Church to decide to oppose the imperial; in 1216 Innocent III preached a Crusade; in 1281, this Charles of Anjou, was crowned Martin IV, who in the same year we held a consistory in which he was named Cardinal Benedetto Caetani of Anagni, the future Boniface VIII; etc …
The exterior features a remarkable fourteenth-century portal, red marble colonnades, and a nice porch on the left side. The bell tower, combined with the facade of the church, has lost its original appearance, having been severed and plastered: the plant has dodecagona and windows divided by columns of pure Lombard style.
The interior has a basilica with three naves. The greater is supported by granite columns with elegant capitals, on which curving arches. The ship cross is supported by great piers, on which rest the times round shape.
See frescoes of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and others from the school of Signorelli, a newspaper of the school of Arnolfo di Cambio and a pulpit carved and decorated with mosaics cosmateschi.
