Collegiata di San Tommaso, Baroque collegiate church in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
The Collegiata di San Tommaso is a baroque church with a symmetrical facade, stone columns, arched windows, and intricate sculptural details throughout. Inside, multiple chapels feature marble altars and decorated architectural elements arranged around a central worship space.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed this church in 1658, creating a work that helped define Italian baroque architecture of that era. The building represents a turning point in how religious spaces were conceived and constructed during the late 1600s.
The church serves as a focal point for Castel Gandolfo's community, hosting regular religious services and local celebrations. It shapes the character of the town center and connects residents to their shared spiritual heritage.
The church sits near Castel Gandolfo's town center and is reachable by train from Rome in under an hour. Visitors have better access to the interior when services are not being held, though the exterior can be viewed anytime.
Bernini personally oversaw the interior decoration, meaning his artistic hand is evident in nearly every detail of the space. This level of personal involvement by a master architect is rarely seen in buildings of this size from that period.
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