The Collegiate Church of San Tommaso da Villanova is the main church of Castel Gandolfo. Being located almost next-door to the traditional summer residence of the Pope, it is more important than most churches in small towns. The church is located in the Piazza della Libertà .
A brief history of the church of San Tommaso da Villanova in Castel Gandolfo
Pope Alexander VII (Chigi) commissioned Bernini to build the church. It took 3 years, from 1658 till 1661 to build. The pope had also tasked Bernini with the construction of other important landmarks in the city.
Like the Palazzo Pontificio and the adjoining papal villas, the church is located on extraterritorial land.
What to see
Exterior
The facade consists of two levels, with paired Tuscan pillars on the sides. The cornices span the front as well as the sides of the building. There is a semicircular tympanum above the single portal and a triangular one at the top of the facade. The latter contains Pope Alexander VII’s coat of arms. There is a central window in the upper section. The bell tower, with three bells, is at the rear.
The bronze side door features depictions of Pope Benedict XVI.The relief on the left panels portrays the Pope beneath the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.The one on the right shows him holding a book, with the inscription “Benedictus PP XVI”.
Interior
The church has a Greek cross floor plan, with a dome decorated with eight stucco medallions depicting events from the life of San Tommaso da Villanova. The four evangelists are depicted in the pendentives.
The retable of the high altar contains a “Crucifixion” by Pietro da Cortona.
The marble altar in the left transept is decorated with an “Assumption of Mary” altarpiece. The one in the right transept is dedicated to San Tommaso.