Chiesa di Sant'Andrea della Valle

Lonely Planet review

The setting for the first act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca, this towering 16th-century church is topped by Carlo Maderno's huge dome, the second-highest in Rome after St Peter's. The impressive baroque interior features frescoes by Mattia Preti, Domenichino and, in the dome, Lanfranco. Competition between the artists was fierce and legend has it that Domenichino once took a saw to Lanfranco's scaffolding, almost killing him in the process.

The church's most striking feature is Carlo Maderno's huge dome, the second-highest in Rome after St Peter's. But the interior decoration is pretty impressive too. Mattia Preti's supersized frescoes across the apse depict St Andrew's martyrdom, while Domenichino's above the apse play off those of his rival Lanfranco in the dome. Competition between the artists was fierce and legend has it that Domenichino once took a saw to Lanfranco's scaffold.