Santa Maria della Spina

The church of Santa Maria della Spina or thorn Church is a small church in Pisa.

It owes its name to a thorn crown of thorns, which was kept for a long time in this church. However, the thorn had to be delivered to the church of Santa Chiara and today lies in their chapel, which belongs to the same hospital.

Already in 1230 began the construction of the church as an oratory of Santa Maria del Ponte Nuovo (Italian: Saint Mary of the new bridge ). It was originally built on the bed of the Arno River and was surrounded by an open portico. 1323-1325 it was expanded by the architect and sculptor Lupo di Francesco and decorated with a rich decoration of pediments, pinnacles, statues, aedicules and gables. When the church in 1333, the new repository for the relic thorn from Christ's crown was, it got its present name. The building is typical of the Gothic Italian architecture. In the construction of this church, the most famous artist of the 14th century, as Lupo di Francesco, Giovanni di Balduccio, Andrea Pisano Nino Pisano and were involved. Giovanni Pisano created, inter alia, the Madonna col Bambino ( German: Madonna with Child) and the angels in the niche on the facade.

Several times had the church restored due to damage caused by the floods. In 1871 the church was dismantled because of the ever- impending flood and built during the reconstruction works of Arno promenades 1884 to the present, elevated position again. Finally, the small church was restored in 1996-1998. Many statues on the outside wall of the church were replaced by copies and can be seen as an original in the National Museum of San Matteo.

Inside the church are statues of the Madonna col Bambino, of St. Peter, and John the Baptist are by Andrea Pisano Nino Pisano and from the period of 1345-1349. They are considered masterpieces of Gothic period. By Nino Pisano also the Madonna del Latte comes ( Nursing Madonna, Madonna literally milk), which is now on display at the National Museum of San Matteo. It can further be regarded even the tabernacle of Stagio Stagi, who for the storage of the mandrel, the crown of thorns was created in 1534.