Chiesa di Sant’Andrea

Also built in 1188, Arcidosso‘s Chiesa di Sant’Andrea was expanded in 1672 and was renovated in 1872 following the orders of Leonardo Ximenes, who transformed it into the seat of the Confraternita della Misericordia – a Catholic order that cared for the needy.

It’s a small, but quaint little church. Its gabled cream stone facade is adorned by pots of seasonal flowers and its white doors open into an interior that is both humble and charming.

Inside on the right wall is a fresco of the ‘Madonna col Bambino in trono con due Santi e angeli(Madonna with child on the throne with two saints and angels)by an anonymous 16th century Sienese painter. At the church’s heart is a 17th century altar with a paper machè crucifix.

The church is definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for something that has all the typical Tuscan finesse without the flamboyancy you get in bigger churches. It’s also a great place to sit and take in the beauty of your surroundings – I come here to think all the time.