Santa Maria della Spina

Amongst Pisa’s more spectacular and more famous monuments, towers, and other buildings, sits an exquisite jewel, awaiting discovery by anyone willing to leave their hire car and stroll round the centre of Pisa.  The small church of Santa Maria della Spina is tiny Gothic masterpiece built in 1230, and is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding Gothic edifices of Europe. The intricate and beautifully executed exterior is richly decorated with rose windows, striking stonework, and statuary from as far back as the 14^th century.  Among these sculptures sit a Madonna with Child and an Annunciation, both of which are considered masterpieces in their own right.

Another striking aspect of Santa Maria della Spina is the interior, which is surprising in its simplicity, certainly when compared to the church’s ornate exterior.  Comprising a single chamber, the ceiling was painted during a reconstruction project in the 19th century reconstruction. In the main chamber’s centre is housed a genuine masterpiece of Gothic sculpture, the Madonna of the Rose by Andrea and Nino Pisano. Another reason, if one were needed, why this hidden gem should be sought out by anyone visiting the beautiful city of Pisa.