The Church de San Andrés is located on the site of a former church from the times of Moorish occupation. The former church had been frequented as a parish church by the patron saint of Madrid, San Isidro Labrador, and his wife Santa María de la Cabeza, who lived nearby.
The adjacent chapel of San Isidro was built at the site of the saint's house. Its construction began in 1657, after the saint was canonized in 1622. Further reconstructions were performed in 1663 and 1669, and later in 1783 and 1789. The initial construction in Baroque style was fashioned by José de Villarreal, and later Pedro de la Torre and Juan de Lobera. Much of the internal decoration, including paintings, were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.