The church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale stands on the site of the ancient church of Sant'Andrea a Monte Cavallo. It was built between 1658 and 1670 to a design by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, commissioned by Pope Alexander VII and Cardinal Camillo Pamphilj, whose family coat of arms stands on the façade.

The small church is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture, so much so that Bernini himself considered it his finest work, precisely because of its balance between the different art forms: architecture, sculpture, and painting.

The most innovative architectural aspect of the church of Sant'Andrea is its The stunning dome with its lantern, whose windows cast evocative plays of light at different times of the day.

The church has an elliptical plan, with the transverse axis longer than the main axis running from the entrance to the high altar. Interestingly, this arrangement of the axes was the exact opposite of that used by Borromini for the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, not far from Sant'Andrea.

The main chapel is splendid, with a gilded bronze and lapis lazuli altar, designed by Bernini himself and adorned with a beautiful golden halo with angels and cherubs by Antonio Raggi; at the center is a depiction of the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew, painted by Borgognone.