St Andrew's Church, Rome
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St Andrew's Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in Rome, Italy, belonging to the Church's Presbytery of Europe. The current minister is Rev. William B McCulloch.
The congregation began in the early 1860s with a small group of Scots and American presbyterians who met in the neighbourhood of the Spanish Steps. A first building was opened in 1871 near the Porta Flaminia. The present building, at Via Venti Settembre 7 (about half way between the Piazza della Repubblica and the Palazzo del Quirinale), was opened early in 1885.
Planning permission was granted only on condition that the building should not from the outside look like a church. Hence the architecture is similar to that of the various Italian government ministries in the same street. The building is set back a little from the street, with an enclosed forecourt, and is constructed on four levels. The church itself takes up the whole of the ground floor, above this are church offices, a manse, and a broad roof terrace with views over the Vatican City.
The interior architecture of the church reflects the older Presbyterian tradition, with a central pulpit and a minimum of decoration. A memorial to Scottish servicemen lost in the Italian campaign has a prominent position.
The Church of Scotland now shares the building with a Korean congregation. Services are held each Sunday at 11am in English, and at 6am, 2pm and 4pm in Korean. Location / address: Via XX Settembre 7, 00187 Roma.
