Have you ever noticed how beautiful Mantua's religious structures are?

They are surely worth taking a picture, perhaps with the warm, radiant hues of the sunset as a background while you are on a pleasant outdoors trip.

Leon Battista Alberti is the creator of  two of the city's most important churches.

The famous Reinassance architect worked in Mantua in the mid XVth Century for the Gonzaga family. His appointed mission was from the very beginning to imbue greatness into one of the most important cities of the time.

He erected in two churches of great relevance in the city center at a short timelapse from each other, that nowadays are mentioned in every course of Renaissance art course in the world: those of San Sebastiano and San Andrea.

Both feature an imposing monumental facade of great visual impact: Alberti displays his mastery of classical architecture in designing both landmarks.

The Temple of San Sebastiano is influenced by elements of a classical Helenistic temple, while the  Basilica of Sant'Andrea is more inspired by the structure of an Etruscan temple.

Once inside, similarities between both churches disappear: from the Greek cross of the former to the Roman cross of the latter. Classicism is a great influence in the city.